js&as* 



V 




OUF^ 

OWN 








Glass. 
Book 




[Frontispiece.] 



THE WILD TURKEY. 



See page 197. 



OUR OWN BIRDS 



A FAMILIAR NATURAL HISTORY 



BIRDS 



THE UNITED STATES. 



WILLIAM L. BAILT. 



BEYISED AND EDITED BY 
EDWARD D. COPE, 

OORBESPOKDtlra SECRETARY OP THE ACADEMY OF KAYVKAL SCICHOU. 




<■:■ < 

LIP P nW^j^^fc A N Y.<^ 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., 

En the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



TRANSFER 
Sk O. PUBLIC LIBHABY 
SBPT, lO. 1940 






PREFACE 



The object of this book is not to treat the subject 
of Ornithology scientifically, but simply to present 
in a concise and familiar manner to the youthful 
reader, some interesting facts relating to the birds 
of our own country. Various works have been writ- 
ten and published upon this subject, containing, 
probably, all that the student or amateur could wish 
to know ; but being both voluminous and expensive, 
they are quite beyond the reach of children. They 
also contain, in connection with a variety of interest- 
ing matter, an array of scientific details, which to 
most young persons are unintelligible, and which can 
only be appreciated by the more advanced student. 
We have, therefore, while adhering strictly to an 
approved systematic arrangement of the Genera and 
Species, endeavored to avoid, as much as possible, 
the use of all terms and expressions which would in 
any degree confuse the reader, or detract from the 
1* (v) 



VI PREFACE. 

interest of the work, — hoping tnereoy to excite in 
some a degree of love for a study, which they will 
find to be at once entertaining and instructive, as 
well as conducive to the health of body and mind. 

We have confined our descriptions chiefly to the 
Birds of the United States, but in a few instances 
have introduced others for the purpose of better illus- 
trating the subject, or increasing our information re- 
specting the peculiarities of any tribe. 

It is proper to observe that, while many of the 
cuts in the following pages are original, others are 
after Audubon. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTION. 



Description of the Different Parts of Birds — Classifi- 
cation : Raptores, Insessores, Scansores, Rasores, 
Grallatores, Natatores — On the Flight of Birds — 
Their Plumage, Instinct, Migration, Nests, Eggs, 
Generic Divisions Page 11 



CHAPTER II. 

INSESSORES: PASSERES— OSCINES. 

Description of the Bobolink by "Washington Irving" 
— Cow-bird — Red-winged Blackbird — Baltimore 
Oriole — Bullock's Oriole — Orchard Oriole — Meadow 

Lark — Raven 30 

(vii) 



V1U CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER III. 

INSESSORES: PASSERES—OSCWES. 

The Crow — Common and Yellow-billed Magpie — Blue 
Jay — The Canada, Florida, Ultamarine, Steller's, 
Mexican, and Prince Maximilian Jay — Great Ameri- 
can Shrike — Solitary, White-eyed, and Yellow-throat 
Vireo — Cedar-bird — White-breasted Nuthatch 4b 

CHAPTER IV. 

INSESSORES: PASSERES— OSC1NES. 

A Stroll into the Woods of Carolina — Mocking Bird — 
Wood Robin — Cat-bird — Robin — Golden-crowned 
Thrush— Brown Thrush — Finches — Snow Bunting — 
Song Sparrow — Indigo Bird — Nonpareil — House 
Finch — Crossbill — Cardinal Grosbeak — Blue Gros- 
beak — Scarlet Tanager 66 

CHAPTER V. 

INSESSORES: PASSERES, CLAMATORES, AND OSCINES. 

The Fly-catcher — Pewee — King Bird — Great Crested 
Fly-catcher — Wood Pewee — Wren — Great Carolina 
and Winter Wren — Chick-a-de-de — Brown Creeper. . 99 

CHAPTER VI. 

INSESSORES: SYNDACTYLL 

Description of the Night Hawk — Whip-poor-will — 
Chuck-wills-widow— Barn and Chimney Swallows — 
Anecdote by Audubon— Purple Martin— Edible Swal- 
low's Nest 112 



CONTENTS. IX 

CHAPTER VII. 

INSESSORES: STNDACTTLI AND ZYGODACTYLI. 

Belted Kingfisher — California and Red-headed Wood- 
peckers — A Narrative of the California Woodpecker, 
by "Kelley" — Ivory-billed, Golden-wing, Yellow- 
bellied, and Downy Woodpeckers — Cuckoo — Parrots 
— Anecdote of a Parrot, from Gosse's ''Natural His- 
tory of Birds" 12? 

CHAPTER VIII. 

INSESSORES: STNDACTTLI 

Humming Birds 152 

CHAPTER IX. 

INSESSORES: ACCIP1TRES. 

Walk to the Fields — Habits of Different Birds — Tur- 
key Buzzard — Vulture — Condor — Eagle — Hawk — 
Falcon — Kite — Hawk Owl — and the Owl 168 

CHAPTER X. 

INSESSORES: PULLASTE^E. CURSORES: GALLING. 

Pigeons — Great Flight of Pigeons, by "Audubon" — 
Turtle Dove — Wild Turkey — American and Gamble's 
Partridge — Canada, Ruffled, and Pinnated Grouse 
— Ptarmigan 189 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XI. 

CURSORES: GRALL& 

Rail — Whooping Crane — Plovers — Sand Pipers — Kil- 
deer — Spotted Sand Pipers — Snipe — Woodcock — 
White Ibis — Roseate Spoonbill — Night Heron — 
Bittern —White Egret — Snowy Heron — American 
Flamingo 206 

CHAPTER XII. 

NATATORES. 

American Swan — Mallard Duck— Wood Duck— Can- 
vass-back — Eider and Long-tail Duck — Hooded Mer- 
ganser—Arctic Tern— Gulls— Petrel 234 



OUR OWN BIRDS. 



CHAPTER I 

INTRODUCTION. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF BIRDS— CLASSI- 
FICATION : RAPTORES, INSESSORES, SCANSORES, RASORES, 

GRALLATORES, NATATORES — ON THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS 

THEIR PLUMAGE, INSTINCT, MIGRATION, NESTS, EGGS, GE- 
NERIC DIVISIONS. 

It may be said that there is no part of the Animal 
Kingdom in which a more general interest is felt 
than in Birds. The great variety of their forms, the 
beauty, and often the gaudiness of their plumage, 
their graceful motions, their peculiar habits and man- 
ners, and, above all, their sweet musical voices, all 
conspire to assign them a most prominent position in 
Nature's parterre. 

The birds of our own country, although less bril- 
liantly attired than some others, must yet hold in our 
affections the foremost place. What happy associa- 
tions do we connect with them ! Who that listens to 

(11) 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

the Cuckoo's voice, thinks not of his boyhood, when, 
thoughtless of time's passing wing, he has stopped 
by the wayside, and watched her building her nest ? 
Who that hears the song of the Blue-bird and Lin- 
net, finds not in their sweet notes a tie that binds to 
his heart some memory of the past ? and is ready to 
exclaim : 

"And I can listen to thee yet 
And lie upon the plain; 
And listen till I do beget 
That golden time again." 

Birds are ever around us : — their busy active life 
displays itself wherever we turn our steps : — even at 
those seasons when most species have retired to the 
sunny south, a few still remain to cheer our hearts 
and enliven our homes. But it is in the spring and 
summer that we become most familiar with these 
feathered tenants of the air. When the clouds of 
winter, and its lowering storms, have rolled them- 
selves behind the hills, — when the sun shines out 
with renewed warmth and vigor, and the softened 
breath of Heaven wafts from the flowery fields and 
leafy woods a pleasing fragrance, the Blue-bird, the 
Song Sparrow, and the Robin, with thousands of lovely 
comrades, fresh from their winter haunts, come again 
to cheer us with a welcome music. The Swallows 
twitter gaily as they sail over the meadows; the 
Wren, perched upon a neighboring twig, sings to his 
mate while she turns from her accustomed, 'box the 
remains of last year's nest ; the busy little Warblers 



DIFFERENT PARTS OF BIRDS. 13 

and Fty-catchers, incessantly active, are plying their 
bills voraciously among the insect life; the Hawk 
wheels his buoyant flight in graceful circles over- 
head; and the Humming Bird darts like a meteor in 
pursuit of some favorite flower. All these cast a 
halo of attraction around the name of Spring, re- 
minding us that "the time of the singing of birds 
is come." 

Before entering fully upon our subject, there are 
a few observations which it will be necessary for us 
to make, which cannot but be of use to the young 
student of Ornithology. How wonderfully is the 
form of a bird adapted to the element in which it is 
designed to move ! We perceive that the general 
outline of its body is boat shaped, as being most 
consistent with a rapid motion through the air. The 
skeleton is admirably formed, both as to strength 
and buoyancy, many of the larger bones being hol- 
low, and filled with air instead of marrow. In the 
development of the muscles, also, we see compact- 
ness combined with prodigious force ; and the struc- 
ture of the wing at' once commends itself to our 
notice as a propelling, as well as a supporting power, 
peculiarly suited *o the wants of the bird; while the 
whole body is clothed with a covering which, for 
lightness, warmth, and beauty, could hardly be ex- 
celled. 

By reference to the adjoining cut, the following 
description of the different parts of a bird, and the 
names applied to some of the most prominent fea- 
thers, will be understood : 
2 



11 



INTRODUCTION 




H G 



F E D C B 



A. Primary quills. 

B. Secondary " 

C. Spurious wing. 

D. Greater wing coverts. 

E. Tertiary quills. 

F. Throat. 

G. Jugulum. 
H. Bill. 

I. Front. 



J. Crown. 

K. Scapular feathers. 

L. Interscapular. 

M. Tarsus, or leg. 

N. Abdomen. 

0. Rump. 

P. Upper tail coverts. 

Q. Lower " " 



Birds have been by some naturalists divided into 
six different orders, as follows : 



1st. ACCIPITRES. (Preying). 

2d. INSESSORES. (Perching). 

3d. SCANSORES. (Climbing). 

4th. GALLING. (Scraping). 

6th. GRALL33. (Wading). 



Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures. 
Sparrows, Warblers, Thrushes, &c 
Woodpeckers and Parrots. 
Pheasant, Partridge, &c 
Heron, Crane, and Ibis. 



6th. NATATORES. (Swimming). Geese and Ducks 



CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



15 



Each order, it will be seen, possesses a peculiar 
formation of the bill, wings, or feet ; and it is by the 
close observance of them, as well as of differences in 
their plumage, that the naturalist is enabled to dis- 
tinguish between the different species.* 



* With fuller anatomical information upon the subject, 
later zoologists have regarded the following arrangement as 
most nearly representing Nature : 

Of the class Aves there are three sub-classes, viz., Nata- 
tores, (principally aquatic), Cursores, (principally terres- 
trial), and Insessores, (principally arboreal). 

The sub-class, Natatores, embraces four orders, viz., 
the Pygopodes, (containing four families ; grebe, loon, pen- 
guin, etc.); the Longipennes, (two families; petrel, gull, 
etc.)J; the Steganopodes, (two families; pelican, etc.); and 
the Lamellirostres, (two families ; ducks, mergansers). 

The sub-class, Cursores, consists of three orders; first, 
Grallce, (containing six families, rails, herons, flamingo, 
snipe, plover, etc.) ; second, Brevipennes, (two families, 
ostrich, apteryx, etc.) ; third, Gallince, (four families, 
grouse, pheasant, turkey, etc.) 

The sub-class, Insessores, is a union of five orders. 
First, Pullaslroz, (four families, brush turkey, dodo, pigeon, 
etc.) ; second, Accipitres, (three families, the birds of prey) ; 
third, Syndachyli, (seven families, hornbill, kingfisher, 
humming bird, swift, whip-poor-will, etc.); fourth, Zygo- 
dactyly (seven families, trogons, cuckoos, woodpeckers, 
parrots, etc.); fifth, Passeres, (twenty families, sparrows, 
thrushes, tanagers, crows, etc.) The third of these orders 
is of uncertain limits; very good authorities refer it to the 
fifth, (Passeres), forming from part of it a sub-order, (Stri- 
sores). In the system here sketched, the Passeres comprise 
two sub-orders, distinguished partly by the greater or less 
perfection of the vocal organs. They are the Clamatorei 



16 INTRODUCTION. 

In the Accipitres, represented by the Eagles and 
Falcons, the wings are long and powerful, and their 
food consisting mostly of the flesh of small animals, 
they are not only assisted in their pursuit of them 
by a rapid and vigorous flight, but the form of the 
feet and claws is such as to enable them to seize and 
secure their prey, while the hooked beak is well 
suited to the purpose of tearing it in pieces. 

The Insessores embraces a great variety of birds 
exhibiting a corresponding variety of form. A large 
majority of them feed upon insects and their larvae 
or eggs ; and while in all, the feet are well adapted 
for perching, the bill and wings will be found to vary 
much according to the habits of the bird. The 
Swallows, Fly-catchers, Tyrants, etc., pursue their 
food upon the wing ; they have therefore great powers 
of flight, the mouth is wide, the bill broad at the 
base, and sometimes armed at the extremity with a 
slight hook. The Warblers, Thrushes, Wrens, and 
many others, seek their food among the branches and 
leaves of the trees, feeding mostly upon the worms, 

and Oscines. Of the ten families belonging to the first (the 
inferior), five are represented in the United States; of the 
second, which exhibits the higher organization, the whole 
ten families exist in our country. 

This system was first published at Upsal in 1860, by 
Wilhelin Lilljeborg. 

In the present book, the liberty has been taken of alter- 
ing the author's arrangement as far as possible, and tho 
classification proposed by Lilljeborg has been substituted. 

E. D. C. 



CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



the chrysalis, or the eggs. These are possessed of 
extraordinary agility in hopping about from twig to 
twig in search of food. Some birds of the order 
Incessores live on seeds and nuts ; such are furnished 
with a strong short beak, quite thick at the base ; 
the two mandibles sometimes working together like a 
pair of scissors. To this class belong the Finches, 
Sparrows, Crossbills, with many more. 

The third division, Scansores, or Zygodactyli, com- 
prises the family of Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, Parrots, 
etc. In this division the arrangement of the toes is 
peculiar, two before and two behind, which enables 
the bird to grasp with a firmer hold the bark or the 
branches, while climbing from one part of the tree 
to another. To the Woodpecker this arrangement is 
of peculiar service, almost its whole life being spent 
in clambering over the rough surface of trunks and 
branches of trees. 

The case is much the same with the Parrots, al- 
though their climbing propensities are confined more 
to the smaller branches, in which they make good 
use of their strong hooked beak, hanging on with it, 
while taking a fresh foothold. 

In the fourth division, Rasores, we will notice a 
marked change, the whole bird differing widely in 
form and appearance from the preceding; the body 
becomes larger and less buoyant, the wings less am- 
ple, and consequently the flight restricted, the bill 
adapted to picking up seeds and berries or to the 
cropping of tender herbage, while the feet are formed 
for walking on the ground and the claws for scratch* 
2* B 



18 



INTRODUCTION. 



ing in the earth. By observing the contour of the 
Turkey and the Pheasant, or of the common poultry 
of our barn-yards, it will be seen that they are formed 
for a terrestrial existence, and that their heavy bodies 
and less capacious wings unfit them for much aerial 
locomotion. 

In the Grallae, or fifth division, a long bill, long 
neck, long legs, and sometimes long toes, are the 
prominent features. The Heron, the Crane, the Cur- 
lew, and others of this class, often seek their food in 
deep waters, into which they wade as far as the length 
of their legs will permit, and, with the head resting 
upon the shoulders, they stand silently, with their 
eyes fixed upon the stream, until some unwary fish 
comes within their reach, when they dart out their 
long necks and catch it. 

The Natatores are a large order, composed of 
Bucks, Swans, and Geese; these live almost exclu- 
sively in the water; they are web-footed, and swim 
very beautifully, sailing about on the surface like a 
miniature ship. The bill is of a peculiar formation, 
being broad and somewhat boat-shaped, and rounded 
at the extremity. They feed upon the vegetation 
found growing in, and on the margin of, the water, 
also upon worms, larvae, etc. Although these birds 
seem more adapted for a life divided between the 
land and the water, yet they are possessed of great 
powers of flight, and are often seen in considerable 
numbers soaring aloft and progressing with a very 
rapid motion. Their line of march is singular, one 
generally taking the lead, and the rest following in 



FLIGHT OP BIRDS. 



19 



single file, either in a straight line or in the form of 
the letter V. 

To the student of Ornithology, the flight of birds, 
and the motion of the wings peculiar to the different 
tribes, will form an interesting subject for observa- 
tion. To the practised eye, this is quite a sure indi- 
cation of the class to which the bird belongs. 

By those who are familiar with the easy and unre- 
strained flight of the Eagle, he is at once recognized. 
Now he soars in graceful curves at an immense height, 
as though intent on viewing the whole earth beneath 
him, — then with un moving wing glides in a horizontal 
course until lost in the deep blue vault of Heaven. 
The motions of the Turkey Vulture are also of a most 
singular and interesting character. These birds may 
often be seen sailing overhead for hours together, 
moving in curves or gently undulating lines, rising 
and falling at pleasure, with but little apparent mo- 
tion of the wings, and sometimes ascending in easy 
circles beyond the reach of vision. 

The Woodpecker describes, in its course through 
the air, a waving line, which is in consequence of 
the wings being alternately closed and expanded at 
intervals during flight. The Sparrows also perform 
a zigzag course, rising and falling first to the one side 
and then to the other. In the Fly-catchers the mo- 
tion of the wings is rapid and steady; sometimes in 
long-continued flight their course is slightly undula- 
ting. The Humming Bird darts with the swiftness 
of an arrow, and the vibrations of its wings are so 
incessant as to render them almost invisible ; while 



20 



INTRODUCTION 



the Heron and the Crane wheel their heavy bodies 
through the air with a slow but steady flapping of a 
pair of ample, curving wings, their heads drawn in 
toward the body, and their long legs following like a 
rudder. 

It is very evident that the shape of the wings, and 
the arrangement and texture of the feathers com- 
posing them, must have a material effect upon the 
flight of birds. A long, pointed, flat wing, with stiff 
and close-set primaries, is undoubtedly best adapted 
to rapidity of motion. This will be most observable 
in the Swallow, the Humming Bird, and the Night 
Hawk, which of all birds are the most remarkable 
for the nimbleness and agility of their movements. 
How beautifully does the Swallow skim over the 
meadows and lakes, or mount aloft in the air, now 
wheeling to the one side and then darting like an 
arrow to the other ! And how graceful are the antics 
of the Night Hawk as he pitches his aerial summer- 
sets, or gambols with matchless ease across the sky ! 

It will be observed that the wings of birds of rapid 
flight are seldom very concave beneath • on the con- 
trary, they are generally quite flat when extended. 
This flatness, although it contributes to the velocity 
of motion as the bird sweeps along, destroys to a 
great extent the power of direct ascent. Where the 
wing is of moderate length and concave, as in the 
Owl, and composed of loose soft feathers, the flight 
is buoyant and noiseless, and quite different from that 
of the Falcon, the feathers being too soft and yield- 
ing to produce any whistling or rushing noise. A 



'WINGS AND THEIR APPENDAGES. 21 



6liort, rounded, concave wing, is mostly peculiar to 
birds of terrestrial habits, as it will at once be seen 
that this form is least adapted to extensive progress 
through the air. The wings of the Partridge and 
Pheasant are of this shape. 

Appendages of various kinds arc occasionally at- 
tached to the wings of birds : — the direct uses of 
these cannot readily be ascertained. We must there- 
fore conclude that they were designed rather as or- 
naments than to minister to the comfort or conveni- 
ence of the bird. In the Leona Night Jar, a bird 
allied to the Night Hawk, and a native of Africa, 
from the centre of the upper wing coverts issues a 
slender flowing shaft about twenty inches in length, 
and tipped for about five inches with a broad web. 
In some the scapularies are elongated into delicate 
and graceful plumes, as in the Heron and Crane. 

While, as has been shown, most birds possess the 
power of flight in a greater or less degree, yet there 
are a few species to which it has been wholly denied. 
This is in consequence of two separate peculiarities 
in the development of those organs which are so 
nicely adapted to their aerial habits. In the Ostrich 
and Emu we see merely the rudiment of a wing, des- 
titute of the ordinary bony and muscular structure ; 
and in the Penguin and Auk, the wing, although 
possessed of considerable muscular power, is con- 
verted into an organ of aquatic progression, and is 
covered with close, stiff, and scale-like feathers. 

The tail also exerts considerable influence in guiding 
the motions of the bird through the air, acting as a 



22 INTRODUCTION. 

rudder to direct its course, and it also assists greatly 
in preserving a proper equilibrium, both in motion 
and while at rest. The form of the tail differs widely 
in different species ; perhaps there is no other part 
of its plumage in which so great a diversity exists, 
and often the male and female are so unlike in this 
respect as scarcely to be recognized as being different 
sexes of the same bird. 

The structure of a simple feather is in itself a won- 
der, — its unique form, its soft and delicate texture, 
its perfect adaptation to the use for which it was de- 
signed, — the amazing difference which exists between 
those of different birds, from the stout quill of the 
Buzzard's wing to the shining spangle from the Hum- 
ming Bird's throat, the plain but exquisite shadings 
and markings of the one contrasted with the gaudy 
and glittering hues of the other, display the infinite 
wisdom and the matchless skill of Him who is 

"Wondrous alike in all he tries!" 

The male bird is mostly clothed in more brilliant 
plumage than his mate, and the young of both sexes 
generally assume the garb of the female until the 
following spring. Thus it appears that color not 
only serves the purpose of beauty, but also of pro- 
tection, for while the gay adornment of the male 
attracts the attention and makes him a more certain 
mark for the sportsman, the female to whom is com- 
mitted the care of the young is secured from danger 
by her unobtrusive dress. 

The Partridge and Woodcock, which mostly live 



COLOR A PROTECTION. 23 

upon the ground, are secreted from the searching eye 
of the Hawk and the Kite by their grey speckled 
plumage, which resembles the ground on which they 
move. The tawny feathers of the Whip-poor-will 
also afford it a means of protection, even from man, 
as it is extremely difficult to distinguish it from the 
log upon which it may be crouching, almost within 
our reach. The Ptarmigan, which inhabits very cold 
northern climates, in summer has its plumage marked 
with stripes of black or brown, which colors more 
nearly apprDach to those of the rocks and barrer 
heaths upon which it lives ; but, did these hues re 
main during the winter, when the snow covers every 
object with a mantle of white, the place of its con* 
cealment would be readily discovered, and it would 
fall an easy prey to the Snowy Owl or the Gyr Fal- 
con. What then is the provision of Nature to guard 
against this danger ? As the cold season advances, 
the feathers, by some unknown process, gradually 
become white, and the bird burrows fearlessly in the 
snow, in search of berries and leaves, comparatively 
secure from the eye of its enemy. 

Another object besides safety is gained from the 
concealment afforded by the peculiar colors and 
markings of the plumage ; the support of the bird 
being sometimes dependent upon it. Thus the Crane 
and the Heron, and many other water birds, which 
depend upon their dexterity as fishers for their sup- 
ply of food, are clothed with feathers partly of white 
and partly of a bluish slate color, and the fish as they 
g;lide beneath the water recognize but little difference 



24 INTRODUCTION. 

between the plumage of their foe and the blue hea- 
ven above them studded with clouds, and passing on 
fearlessly, they fall an easy prey to his voracious ap- 
petite, while did the bird present a darker image 
against the sky, it would produce alarm, and the fish 
would hurry off to the protection of some overhang- 
ing bank, or dive into the depths below. 

The instincts of birds are in many respects very 
remarkable. What sagacity do they display in dis- 
cerning the proper time for performing their migra- 
tions ! With what precision do they direct their 
course through the darkness of night ! With what 
skill do they construct their nests ! And with what 
tender affection do they provide for the wants and 
protection of their young ! It has been observed of 
the House Wren and many other birds, that the same 
pair will return to the same spot for many successive 
seasons: that these little creatures should be able to 
designate in a journey of at least one thousand miles 
the precise spot where they have nestled the year be- 
fore, shows a degree of intelligence not always found 
even in man. 

The migration of birds is by no means the least 
interesting part of their history. How often do we 
observe when looking out upon some bright morning 
of spring, that while the air seems laden with fresh 
o,dors, it also bears upon its bosom a soft aerial music, 
a sweet incessant warble, the song of thousands of 
merry little travellers fresh from the distant south ! 
Each day for weeks in succession seems to bring new 
arrivals, until at last we welcome the tardy little 



MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 25 

Humming Bird, which, although swift of wing, is 
often among the last in the train. 

Birds frequently perform their migrations at night, 
halting at convenient distances, sometimes spending 
many days in a congenial spot, and only leaving it 
as the advance of the season warns them of the ne- 
cessity of completing their journey. The rapidity 
with which some species travel through the air on 
these occasions, has been the subject of much specu- 
lation. It is a well-ascertained fact that their swift- 
ness is so great as far to surpass any speed which it 
is in the power of man to produce, and has been 
known sometimes to be equivalent to one hundred 
miles an hour. The males generally arrive a few 
days in advance of the females, as though for the 
purpose of reconnoitering and finding out suitable 
places to locate their nests; and the coming of the 
females is a signal for the choosing of mates, and 
making general preparations for the accommodation 
of a family. 

That every distinct species constructs a nest of 
some peculiar shape, and of materials best adapted 
to its own wants, is a circumstance worthy of notice. 
The unique little structure built by the Humming 
Bird from the finest and most delicate moss, and lined 
with the soft down from different plants, while it is 
well calculated for the accommodation of its own tiny v 
progeny, would hardly answer the wants of any of its 
neighbors. The Eagle rears her young upon some 
bare and inaccessible crag, where, with a heap of sticks 
and moss for a nest, she broods over them in solitude. 
3 



26 



INTRO DUCTION 



The Oriole weaves a neat little bag of bark, fine grass 
and wool, often strengthened with pieces of string or 
horse-hair, and hangs it from the twigs of some waving 
bough, which rocks to and fro in the wind, and there 
in the midst of a storm which would demolish a struc- 
ture of greater weight and firmness, she sits at her 
ease, under the protection of Him, " without whose 
notice not a sparrow falleth to the ground." The 
White-eyed Vireo, whose nest is in the shape of an 
inverted cone, suspends it from the circling stems of 
a running vine. The Whip-poor-will and the Chuck- 
wills-widow merely scrape away the leaves near some 
prostrate log, or among the thick undergrowth of the 
forest, and lay their eggs upon the bare ground ; but 
so nearly does their color resemble that of the leaves 
and earth, that it is almost impossible to discover 
them unless their concealment is betrayed by the 
flight of the bird. 

The number of eggs deposited in a nest varies 
greatly. The Whip-poor-will lays two, the Partridge 
from fifteen to twenty-four. The color also varies 
much in the different species; some are of a deep 
and beautiful blue, others as white as snow; some 
are marked with irregular blotches near the great 
end, or spotted thickly all over with brown on a yel- 
lowish or light olive-colored ground; but perhaps 
the most common color is one uniform speckled mix- 
ture of various shades of gray. Mostly but one 
brood is raised in a season, but frequently two, and 
with those birds which arrive early sometimes three. 



INSTINCT OF BIRDS. 27 

Ohe of the most remarkable instincts of birds is 
displayed in their keen sense of approaching danger, 
and in the means which they adopt to avoid it. So 
sagacious are the birds of some species, that they 
will always keep at a safe distance from the gun of 
the sportsman, although they may never have had 
any experience of the danger of coming within range 
of his shot. This is particularly the case with the 
Crow; so cautious are they that when a flock is com- 
mitting depredations upon the farmer's corn-stacks, 
they keep a sentinal posted in some elevated position 
to give notice of the approach of any suspicious look- 
ing individual. Young Ducks, almost as soon as they 
have left the shell, will seek the water, often to the 
amazement of the hen who has adopted them ; here 
they will swim about and catch gnats and flies ; but 
a wasp they will avoid, as its sting would be inju- 
rious. Chickens will show no signs of fear at the 
approach of a strange turkey or goose ; but if a hawk 
hovers in the distance, they will become agitated and 
seek shelter. Some birds, if the vicinity of their 
nests is approached, will immediately fly to the ground 
before the intruder, and dropping their wings as 
though wounded, will limp about in great apparent 
distress ; by this means they often deceive those who 
are ignorant of their habits, and gradually lead them 
away from the spot, when their assumed lameness 
suddenly disappears, and they fly off as nimbly as 
ever. 

In order to facilitate the study of Ornithology^ the 



28 



INTRODUCTION. 



six great orders of birds have been divided by natu- 
ralists into groups or families called genera, to each 
of which a name has been applied often indicative 
of some peculiarity in the appearance or habits of 
the bird, and mostly expressed in Latin. Thus, to 
the Sparrow family has been applied the generic term 
of Fringillidse, and to the Humming Birds that of 
Trochilidse. These families are again separated into 
sub-genera, according to certain differences in the for- 
mation of the bill, feet, wings, etc. To each of these 
divisions a name is given depending much upon the 
fancy of the naturalist, and is frequently bestowed 
in honor of some great patron of science. The sub- 
genera often consist of many species, and an appro- 
priate Latin specific name is added to each, by which 
it may be distinguished from all others. Thus, the 
common House Wren of Europe is called Troglodytes 
Domestica — the former being its family or generic, 
and the latter its individual or specific title. Thus 
to every little warbler that sings its matin song be- 
neath our windows, science has given a name as sig- 
nificant as John Smith or John Jones, the only differ- 
ence being that the part of it which designates his 
family is mentioned first. 

By a careful attention to the foregoing remarks, 
and by frequent observation of the habits of birds in 
their accustomed haunts, the young student may soon 
become acquainted with the appearance and manners 
of most of our native species, and with the aid of a 
little study will be able to recognize in each a fami 



PLEASURES OF THE STUDY. 



29 



liar friend, who is ever ready to minister to his pleas- 
ure, either by cheering his solitary hours with a 
lively song, or by abstracting his thoughts from the 
artificial world about him, and turning them to the 
contemplation of the wonderful works of an All-wise 
Providence. 



8* 



80 



INSESSORES. 



CHAPTER II 

INSESSORES : PASSERES— OSCINES. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE BOBOLINK BY "WASHINGTON IRVINQ"— 
COW-BIRD — RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD — BALTIMORE ORIOLB 
— BULLOCK'S ORIOLE — ORCHARD ORIOLE — MEADOW LARK 
— RAVEN. 

There are comparatively few persons who are 
aware of the pleasure that is to be derived from a 
morning ramble in the woods, for the purpose of ob- 
serving the habits of the countless feathered being3 
which abound on every hand. There is a real enjoy- 
ment in watching their incessant activity, the beauty 
and singular ease of their motions \ to trace the gaudy 
colors in which some are clothed, and the plainer 
though no less pleasing tints of others ; to examine 
the beautiful and delicate structure of their nest; 
and, above all, to listen to the sweet and mellow ca- 
dences of their many-toned voices. A few hours 
thus spent can hardly have any other than a happy 
effect. There is one thing which cannot fail to strike 
us as a prominent feature among Birds, that is, va- 
riety — not only in their plumage and song, but in 
their habits : a variety which ends only with the spe- 
cies, each seeming to possess a distinct character of 
its own. 

Passing from the Finches we come to the Black- 



M(, f 



ill UlM 




REED-BIRD. 



Page 31. 



THE BOBOLINK 



31 



birds and American Orioles, foremost among which 
i3 the Bobolink, or Reed-bird or Rice-bird, that bright, 
active little bird which comes to us in the spring in 
a beautiful coat of black and white, sings sweetly for 
a few short weeks, 
then changing his 
suit for one of dusky 
grey, commences a 
process of gormandi- 
zing which soon fits 
him for the gun of 
the sportsman and the 
epicure's table. 

The following beau- 
tiful description of 4 
this bird is from the 
pen of Washington 
Irving : 

"The happiest bird 
of our spring, and one 
that rivals the Euro- 




Bobolink, or Reed-bird. 

pean lark in my estimation, is the Boblincon or Bob- 
He arrives at that choice 



link, as he is called. 



period of our year which, in this latitude, answers 
to the description of the month of May, so often 
given by the poets. With us it begins about the 
middle of May, and lasts until nearly the middle of 
June. Earlier than this, winter is apt to return on 
its traces, and to blight the opening beauties of the 
year ; later than this begin the parching and panting 
and dissolving heats of summer. But in this genial 



32 



INSESSORES 



interval Nature is in all her freshness and fragrance; 
1 the rains are over and gone, the flowers appear upon 
the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, 
and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land/ 
The trees are now in their fullest foliage and bright- 
est verdure ; the woods are gay with the clustered 
flowers of the laurel; the air is perfumed by the 
sweet-brier and the wild rose ; the meadows are ena- 
melled with clover blossoms ; while the young apple, 
the peach, and the plum begin to swell, and the 
cherry to glow among the green leaves. 

" This is the chosen season of revelry of the Bob- 
link. He comes amid the pomp and fragrance of 
the season ; his life seems all sensibility and enjoy- 
ment, all song and sunshine. He is to be found in 
the soft bosoms of the freshest and sweetest mead- 
ows, and is most in song when the clover is in blos- 
som. He perches on the topmost twig of a tree, or 
on some long, flaunting weed, and as he rises and sinks 
with the breeze, pours forth a succession of rich tink- 
ling notes, crowding one upon another like the out- 
pouring melody of the Skylark, and possessing the 
same rapturous character. Sometimes he pitches 
from the summit of a tree, begins his song as soon 
as he gets upon the wing, and flutters tremulously 
down to the earth, as if overcome with ecstasy at his 
own music. Sometimes he is in pursuit of his par- 
amour, always in full song, as if he would win hei 
by his melody, and always with the same appearance 
of intoxication and delight. 

" Of all the birds of our groves and meadows, the 



THE BOBOLINK. 33 

Boblink was the envy of my boyhood. He crossed 
my path in the sweetest weather and the sweetest 
season of the year, when all Nature called to the 
fields, and the rural feeling throbbed in every bosom, 
but when I, luckless urchin ! was doomed to be mewed 
up during the livelong day in that purgatory of boy- 
hood, a school-room. It seemed as if the little varlet 
mocked at me as he flew by in full song, and sought 
to taunt me with his happier lot. Oh, how I envied 
him ! No lessons, no task, no hateful school ; nothing 
but holiday, frolic, green fields, and fine weather. Had 
I been then more versed in poetry, I might have ad- 
dressed him in the words of Logan to the Cuckoo : 

'Sweet bird! thy bower is ever green, 
Thy sky is ever clear; 
Thou hast no sorrow in thy note, 
No winter in thy year. 

1 Oh ! could I fly, I 'd fly with thee, 
We'd make, on joyful wing, 
Our annual visit round the globe, 
Companions of the spring.' 

11 Further observation and experience have given me 
a different idea of this little feathered voluptuary, 
which I will venture to impart for the benefit of my 
school-boy readers, who may regard him with the 
same unqualified envy and admiration which I once 
indulged. I have shown him only as I saw him at 
first, in what I may call the poetic part of his career, 
when he in a manner devoted himself to elegant pur- 
suits and enjoyments, and was a bird of music, and 
o 



34 



INSESSORES 



song, and taste, and sensibility, and refinement. While 
this lasted he was sacred from injury; the very school- 
boy would not fling a stone at him, and the merest 
rustic would pause to listen to his strain. But mark 
the difference. As the year advances, as the clover 
blossoms disappear, and the spring fades into sum- 
mer, he gradually gives up his elegant tastes and 
habits, doffs his poetical suit of black, assumes a rus- 
set, dusky garb, and sinks to the gross enjoyment of 
common vulgar birds. His notes no longer vibrate 
on the ear ; he is stuffing himself with the seeds of 
the tall weeds, on which he lately swung and chaunted 
so melodiously. He has become a ' bon vivant/ a 
' gourmand ;' with him now there is nothing like the 
'joys of the table/ In a little while he grows tired 
of plain, homely fare, and is off on a gastronomical 
tour in quest of foreign luxuries. We next hear of 
him, with myriads of his kind, banqueting among 
the reeds of the Delaware, and grown corpulent with 
good feeding. He has changed his name in travel- 
ing; Boblincon no more, he is the Reed-bird now, 
the much-sought-for titbit of Pennsylvania epicures, 
the rival in unlucky fame of the ortolan ! Wherever 
he goes, pop ! pop ! pop ! every rusty firelock in the 
country is blazing away. He sees his companions 
falling by thousands around him. 

" Does he take warning and reform ? Alas, not 
he ! Incorrigible epicure ! again he wings his flight. 
The rice-swamps of the South invite him. He gorges 
himself among them almost to bursting; he can scarcely 
fly for corpulency. He has once more changed his 



THE BOBOLINK — THE COW-BIRD. 35 

name, and is now the famous Rice-bird of the Caro- 
linas. 

"Last stage of his career, behold him spitted 
with dozens of his corpulent companions, and served 
up a vaunted dish on the table of some Southern 
gastronome. 

" Such is the story of the Boblink : once spiritual, 
musical, admired, the joy of the meadows, and the 
favorite bird of spring; finally a gross little sensual- 
ist, who expiates his sensuality in the larder. His 
story contains a moral worthy the attention of all 
little birds and little boys, warning them to keep to 
those refined and intellectual pursuits which raised 
him to so high a pitch of popularity during the early 
part of his career; but to eschew all tendency to that 
gross and dissipated indulgence which brought this 
mistaken little bird to an untimely end." 

The Bobolink and the Cow-bird form a small 
group which connects the Finches with the true 
Blackbirds ; the shape of the bill showing their al- 
liance with the former, while the feet, wings, and 
other prominent characteristics, establish their posi- 
tion with the latter. The Meadow Lark and Hang- 
ing-birds (incorrectly called Orioles) belong also to 
this family, which differs very little from the Star- 
ling group of the Old World. 

The Cow-bird is one of those curiosities of Nature 
for whose singular habits it is difficult to account. 
Like the Cuckoo of Europe, the female builds no 
nest of her own, but confides the care of her young 
to various small birds, by watching their absence 



86 INSES SORES. 

from home, and then quietly dropping an egg into 
their nests. Half-a-dozen of these eggs may be found 
sometimes in a single morning's walk, by examining the 
newly made nests of the Yellow-poll Warbler, White- 
eyed Vireo, Blue-grey Fly-catcher, Golden-crowned 
Thrush, and Maryland Yellow-throat; the latter more 
especially seeming to be the favorite recipient of this 
unwelcome gift. It is a fact worthy of remark, that, 
although the Cow-bird is much larger than most of 
these birds, yet its egg is quite small, and approaches 
very near to the size of those in the nest where it is 
laid ; it also, in almost every case, is hatched several 
days in advance of the others, thus securing to the 
young Cow-bird the exclusive care of its foster-mother. 
Her own eggs soon becoming worthless for want of 
attention, are tossed from the nest to make room for 
the fast-growing intruder, toward which she is as 
devoted in her attentions as though it was her own 
progeny. 

As these birds do not pair, their life must neces- 
sarily be very different from that of others. While 
all around them are in the settled enjoyment of their 
mated companionship, the Cow-birds are roaming 
about the country in small companies, mingling pro- 
miscuously with each other, and seeming to have no 
particular preference for any stated locality. Early 
in the autumn the young birds instinctively join the 
old ones, when they assemble in flocks of immense 
size, and may be seen by the thousands and tens of 
thousands among the reeds along the river banks, 



THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 37 

and in the salt marshes.* After this they take their 
departure for the south in company with the Red- 
winged Blackbirds, assisting them in their autumnal 
depredations among the corn and rice. 

There are some objects in the Creation whose 
utility we are sometimes inclined to question. How 
often, for instance, do we hear people wondering 
what mosquitoes were ever made for. It is true they 
are troublesome little pests, but they undoubtedly 
have their use, whether that use has yet been disco- 
vered or not. Thus it was for many years with the 
poor despised and hated Red-winged Blackbirds, 
which were looked upon by our farmers as little short 
of a scourge. Means of various kinds were devised 
to prevent their approach, but to little or no purpose, 
and the entire extermination of the race was looked 
upon as the only remedy for the evil ; consequently 
the havoc which the murderous gun made upon their 
ranks was great. But how is it now ? It has been 
observed that the amount of good they do silently in 
the spring more than compensates for the mischief 
they do in the autumn. If a flock of birds alights 
upon a field of standing corn, the inference is that 
they have come to steal; while if the same flock 
should settle upon a piece of fresh-ploughed ground 
where there is no crop to suffer from their depreda- 
tions, but little notice is taken of it, when perhaps 
they may be rendering us signal service. So for 
years the poor Red-wings have suffered from the un 

* Letter from Dr. T. M. Brewer, of Boston, to J. J. Au- 
dubon. 

4 



58 



INSESSORES. 



just conclusions which we had drawn in reference to 
their real merits. 

Every farmer knows that fresh spring ploughing 
turns up an army of grubs, worms, and the larvae of 
myriads of insects, which, if left to themselves, would 
be sufficient to destroy a large portion of the crop 
which the ground would produce. But just at this 
time come the immense flocks of Red-wings and 
Purple Grakles, which have been equally objects of 
the farmer's aversion, and as they subsist almost ex- 
clusively upon this kind of food, they resort at once 
to the open fields and cultivated grounds, where they 
fully compensate the farmer for the few ears of corn 
which they destroy in the autumn. 




Red-winged Blackbird. 



/ 



The Red-winged Blackbird generally selects for 
A breeding place a low marshy piece of ground, oc- 
casionally interspersed with clumps of alder and 
other bushes, among which or in a tall tussuck of 



THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 39 

grass he builds his nest, composed of a mass of dry 
weeds or some other material for an exterior, and 
lined with fine grass or horse-hair. The female lays 
from four to six eggs of a light blue color, slightly 
spotted with brown.^ It is after the second brood is 
fully fledged that these birds congregate in such vast 
numbers, and commence their depredations upon the 
growing corn, which, being still young and tender, 
.attracts them in such numbers as to darken the air 
and fairly to blacken the spot upon which they settle. 
At such times scare-crows avail little to protect the 
grain, and even the report of a gun will but drive 
them from one part of the field to another. This, 
however, does not continue long ; as the corn advances 
toward maturity, it soon becomes too hard for their 
tastes, and away they fly to try their chance among 
the rice-fields of the South. The plumage of the 
male bird is very beautiful, and one of these vast 
flocks in their early spring dress presents a very 
grand and imposing appearance ; their bodies of jetty 
black, with a broad patch of bright vermilion on each 
shoulder, which sparkles in the sun's rays with pleas- 
ing effect. 

It is very interesting, in studying the habits of 
birds, to notice the peculiar methods adopted by the 
different species in the construction of their nests. 
While we see that some, with careless ease, build a 
fragile tenement upon the ground, others, with the 
skill of an architect, put together a most elaborate 
structure, such as would almost defy art to imitate. 
The bird we are now about to introduce is in this re- 



40 



INSESSORES. 



epect a very expert mechanic, weaving for itself a 
beautiful pensile nest of the most delicate texture, 
more or less perfectly wrought according to the skill 
of the workman, as it is sometimes observed that the 
older birds are the best builders. 




Baltimore Oriole. 

The Baltimore Oriole, or Hanging-bird, as it is 
sometimes called, is one of the most prominent of 
our summer visitors, both for its brilliant coloring 
and its lively and cheering song. Rare are the farm- 
houses where its black and orange-colored plumage 
may not be seen as it moves among the surrounding 
foliage, and where its voice is not heard welcoming 
the dawn. Its notes are few and simple, but their 
peculiar sweetness and harmony cannot fail to charm 
the ear. 

In Louisiana, where the climate is often extremely 
warm, the Oriole suspends its nest from the north 
Bide of the tree, where it will be most sheltered from 



THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 41 

the sun, using in its construction the long fibres of 
the Spanish moss which it attaches at both ends to 
the forks in a branch, forming a number of loops 
about seven inches in length. When a sufficient 
number of these loops are made, it commences weav- 
ing in an opposite direction with the same material 
until it has produced a strong but open and airy 
pouch or bag, rounded at the bottom, and larger than 
at the top, where an aperture is left just large enough 
to admit of the easy passage of the birds in and out. 
There is no lining to this nest generally, as it is not 
required for warmth. In New York and Pennsyl- 
vania, where the atmosphere is cooler, and where 
there is a frequent occurrence of cold rains, it selects 
warmer materials, such as cotton yarns, hemp, tow, 
hair, wool, pieces of twine, or strings of any kind ; 
these it uses in the same manner as its southern 
neighbor, but the texture of the nest, when com- 
plete, is firmer, more compact, and is furnished with 
a warm lining of cow^s hair or wool. It is generally 
suspended upon the south side of the tree, where, 
while it can be well protected by the overhanging 
leaves from drenching rains, it is still open to the 
rays of the sun. The long, pendent boughs of the 
willow are a favorite resort of the Oriole, and here 
the female may be seen sitting quietly and at her 
ease with her nest flying in the wind in the midst 
of a violent storm ; but so firmly is her house secured, 
that unless the branch from which it hangs should 
be torn from the tree, she need fear no harm. 

There are two other species of Hanging-bird or 
4* 



42 INSESSORES. 

American Orioles in the United States. Bullock's 
Oriole, which enjoys a wide range upon the Pacific 
coast, from California northward to the Columbia 
river, seems to fill the same position as that occupied 
to the eastward by the Baltimore Oriole, which it 
very much resembles in appearance as well as in its 
habits. 

The Orchard Oriole is a familiar occupant of our 
orchards and gardens in summer, where it renders 
signal service by ridding the fruit trees of hosts of 
worms and noxious insects and their larvae. { It also 
suspends its neatly formed nest from the forks of 
some outspreading branch. It is not built in the 
pouch-like form we have before described, but looks 
more like a suspended cup, of insufficient capacity 
to conceal the body of the bird while sitting/ It is 
a plainly colored bird ; in the male the breast and 
whole lower parts, together with the rump, being of 
a rich chestnut-brown, and the remainder of the plu- 
mage black. The female is plain olive on the upper 
parts, and a dingy yellow below. 

In point of nest-building we will now notice a 
bird of very different character; this is the Meadow 
Lark, a plain and humble species, seldom indulging 
in any wandering desires, not being gifted with any 
great powers of flight ; its body being heavy and its 
wings short, and altogether unfitted for rapid motion. 
When it first rises from the ground, it flutters like a 
young bird until it rises fifteen or twenty feet in the 
air, when it pursues a bee-line course, with alternate 
sailings, and flutters until ready to alight, which is 



THE MEADOW LARK, 



43 



not often at any great distance, except during its 
migrations.^ Its nest is a loose structure composed 
of grass, fibrous roots, etc., and is placed at the base 
of a tuft of weeds or grass, in a small cavity scooped 




Meadow Lark. 



out of the earth; it is partially concealed from view 
by being covered with leaves and by the blades of 
growing grass drawn around it. The Meadow Lark 
justly merits a prominent place among our song birds 
for th3 sweetness and plaintive melody of its few sim- 
ple notes, with which, in company with the Wood 
Thrush it is among the first to welcome the dawn. 
The male and female are quite similar in their ap- 
pearance, being mottled with brown and fawn color 
upon the head, back, and wings, while the chin and 



44 



INSES SORES. 



breast are bright yellow; the throat being crossed 
with a broad crescent -shaped band of velvety 
black. 

We must now leave these " creatures of music and 
of song," and listen for a while to the cawings of a 
ruder class, such as the Raven, Crow, Magpie, and 
Jay, among which, however, we shall find much to 
interest and instruct us. 

Of the Crow family the Raven is the most promi- 
nent on account of its size, as well as its many sin- 
gular qualities. From very early ages it has been 
regarded with reverence and awe by the superstitious, 
as being possessed of something unearthly in its 

nature; in heathen 
countries, especially, 
it has been looked 
upon by both priests 
and people as a fore- 
teller of events. In 
some of the Indian 
tribes of North Ame- 
rica, their priests 
wear, as a mark of 
their sacred profes- 
sion, two or three Ra- 
ven skins affixed to 
the girdle behind the 
back, in such a man- 
ner that the tails 
R^en. stick out horizontal- 

ly from tne body. They have also a split Raven skin 




THE RAVEN. 45 

on the head, so fastened as to let the beak project 
from the forehead.* 

The American Raven is a scarce bird in some dis- 
tricts, it being seldom seen, and consequently its 
character but little known. The European species is 
more abundant, and is often a very familiar bird. 
They are said to live to a great age, and the same 
pair have been known to resort to one spot to build 
for many successive years. 

It is remarkable for having been the first living 
creature that left the ark after the flood ; and as an 
instance of the great powers of wing of which it is 
possessed, we read that while the Dove which was 
afterward released could find no rest for the sole of 
her foot, and returned again to the ark, the Raven 
went to and fro upon the face of the earth until the 
waters were dried up. 

Young Ravens may be tamed so as to become very 
amusing pets, but require almost constant watching, 
as they are mischievous and greatly addicted to thiev- 
ing. A gentleman's butler having missed a number 
of silver spoons and other articles, without a suspi- 
cion as to who might be the thief, at last discovered 
a tame Raven with one in his mouth, and after fol- 
lowing him to his hiding-place, found more than a 
dozen.f They are, however, gifted with some good 
\fualities, being often possessed with a marked affec- 
tion toward other animals, and also toward those with 
whom they have become familiar. A curious instance 
of attachment in a Raven is related as having occurred 

* Stanley's " Familiar History of Birds." f Ibid. 



46 INSESSORES. 

some years ago, at the Red Lion Inn, Hungerford, 
England. A gentleman who lodged there coming 
into the yard with his chaise, accidentally ran over 
and bruised the leg of a favorite Newfoundland dog, 
and while the injury was being examined, Ralph, the 
Raven, looked on also, and was evidently making his 
remarks on what was doing; for the minute the dog 
was tied up under the manger with the horse, Ralph 
not only visited him, but brought him bones and 
showed him many other attentions. The gentleman 
making some remarks to the ostler on the subject, he 
was informed that the bird had been brought up with 
a dog, and that the affection between them was mu- 
tual, and all the neighborhood had been witnesses to 
the many acts of kindness performed the one to the 
other. The dog in course of time had the misfortune 
to break his leg, and during the long period of his 
confinement the Raven waited on him constantly, 
carried him his provisions, and scarcely ever left him 
alone. One night, by accident, the stable door had 
been shut, and Ralph had been deprived of his 
friend's company all night ; but the ostler found, in 
the morning, the door so picked away, that had it 
not been opened, in another hour Ralph would have 
made his own entrance.* 

We will not say that it was because of this natu- 
ral propensity of the Raven to form close and warm 
attachments, that it was chosen by the Almighty to 
carry food to the Prophet Elijah, during his solitary 

* Stanley's " Familiar History of Birds." 



THE RAVEN. 47 

sojourn by the brook Cherith, but the coincidence is 
certainly curious and interesting. 

a In the United States the Raven is in some meas- 
ure a migratory bird, individuals retiring to the ex- 
treme south during severe winters, but returning 
toward the Middle, Western, and Northern Districts 
at the first indications of milder weather. A few 
are known to breed in the mountainous portions of 
South Carolina, but instances of this kind are rare, 
and are occasioned merely by the security afforded 
by inaccessible precipices, in which they may rear 
their young. Their usual places of resort are the 
mountains, the abrupt banks of rivers, the rocky 
shores of lakes, and the cliffs of thinly peopled or 
deserted islands. It is in such places that these birds 
must be watched and examined, before one can judge 
of their natural habits, as manifested amid their free- 
dom from the dread of their most dangerous enemy, 
the lord of creation. 

" The flight of the Raven is powerful, even, and 
at certain periods greatly protracted. During calm 
and fair weather it often ascends to an immense height, 
sailing there for hours at a time ; and although it 
cannot be called swift, it propels itself with sufficient 
power to enable it to contend with different species 
of Hawks, and even with Eagles when attacked by 
them. It manages to guide its course through the 
thickest fogs of the countries of the north, and is 
able to travel over immense tracts of land or water 
without rest."* 

* Audubon. 



48 



INSESSORES. 



CHAPTER III. 

INSESSORES: PASSERES—OSCINES. 

THE CROW — COMMON AND YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE — BLUB 
JAY — THE CANADA, FLORIDA, ULTAMARINE, STELLER's, 
MEXICAN, AND PRINCE MAXIMILIAN JAY — GREAT AMERICAN 
SHRIKE — SOLITARY, WHITE-EYED, AND YELLOW-THROAT 
VIREO — CEDAR-BIRD WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 

Of all the feathered inhabitants of America, with 
which we are acquainted, the Crow is probably the 
least of a favorite. Having little either in his ap- 
pearance or habits to recommend him, he seems to 
be regarded by general consent as a plundering vaga- 
bond, toward whom neither indulgence nor mercy are 
to be extended; and were it not that a beneficent 
Providence has gifted him with more than common 
sagacity, the race, in our agricultural districts at least, 
would have long since suffered a considerable dimi- 
nution of numbers. Watch the motions of yonder 
sportsman with his double-barrelled gun, 'as he cau- 
tiously follows the windings of that old worm-fence, 
upon a distant stake of which are perched two or 
three ominous-looking birds, while a dozen or more 
of the same sort are quietly rooting up the fresh- 
sprouted corn in an adjoining field. Well aware that 
the watchful eye of the sentinel is ever on the look- 
out for the approach of an enemy, he moves stealthily 



THE CROW. 49 

along, until, fearful of losing his chance, he aims the 
piece at the nearest bird, who, immediately perceiving 
his danger, utters the alarm-note, and the whole flock 
follow his lead beyond the reach of powder. Some- 
times the sportsmen conceal themselves among shrub- 
bery in the track of the Crows as they pass to and 
from their roosting-places, but even here they cannot 
always escape the scrutinizing glance of these ever- 
suspicious birds, for they may be observed to wheel 
to the right or the left of the spot as soon as they 
approach within a short distance of it. A constant 
fear of falling a prey to the murderous gun seems to 
attend the whole life of the poor Crow ; every suspi- 
cious-looking individual is avoided with care, and it 
is almost impossible to come within shooting distance 
of him without great caution. 

But why is it that this bird should thus be an ob- 
ject of common hatred and execration? Simply 
because, as in the case of the Blackbirds, we have 
placed a wrong estimate upon the works of an All- 
wise Creator. What if the Crow does root up the 
corn in some places, compelling the farmer to replant 
and replant until his patience is gone ? The cut- 
worms, of which these injured birds annually destroy 
myriads, are certainly a far worse enemy, and more 
to be dreaded, inasmuch as they appear when the 
crop is far advanced, and accomplish its destruction 
when it is too late to replant. 

The nest of the Crow is generally built in some 
quiet and secluded spot, upon the jutting crag of a 
precipitous rock, or among the thick branches of 
5 D 



50 



INSESSORES. 



some tall tree beyond the reach of his great enemy—- 
man. It is composed externally of moss, sticks, and 
thin pieces of bark, stuck together sometimes with 
mud or clay, and lined with horse-hair or wool, so as 
to make a thick warm bed. / The eggs are four, of a 
pale greenish hue, marked with blotches of olive.] 
When the vicinity of the nest is approached, the 
noise made by the birds often brings to their assist- 
ance all the Crows in the neighborhood, who join in 
the general hubbub until the intruder retires, fre- 
quently following him to a considerable distance, as 
though to be sure of his retreat. 

In the Autumn these birds congregate in vast 
flocks, and resort to some particular spots to roost, 
generally along the margins of rivers or the shores 
of lakes, where there is an abundant growth of reeds, 
upon which they settle in such numbers as to bend 
them to the earth. Toward these roosting-places 
they may be seen, in the latter part of the day, 
slowly wending their way, in long, straggling, and 
apparently interminable lines, sometimes flying low 
over the fields, and sometimes high above in the air. 
These flocks disperse during the daytime in smaller 
companies to search for food. 

The Crow is capable of being domesticated so as 
to become quite an amusing pet, and, it is said, may 
be taught to utter a few words of good English. It 
soon learns to distinguish between the different mem- 
bers of the family, appears terrified at the approach 
of a stranger, has a great propensity for hiding small 
articles, particularly of metal, also corn and food 



THE CROW. 51 

generally. He is fond of the company of his master, 
and will recognize him even after a long absence, 
as the following well-authenticated anecdote wili 
show: 

"A worthy gentleman who resided on the river 
Delaware near Easton, had raised a Crow with whose 
tricks and society he used frequently to amuse him- 
self. The Crow lived long in the family, but at 
length disappeared, having, as was then supposed, 
been shot by some vagrant gunner, or destroyed by 
accident. About eleven months after this, as the 
gentleman, one morning, in company with several 
others, was standing on the river shore, a number 
of Crows happening to pass by, one of them left 
the flock, and flying directly toward the company, 
alighted on the gentleman's shoulder, and began to 
gabble away with great volubility, as one long absent 
friend, naturally enough, does on meeting with an- 
other. On recovering from his surprise, the gentle- 
man instantly recognized his old acquaintance, and 
endeavored, by several civil but sly manoeuvres, to 
lay hold of him ; but the Crow, not altogether re- 
lishing quite so much familiarity, having now had a 
taste of the sweets of liberty, cautiously eluded all 
his attempts; and suddenly glancing his eye on his 
distant companions, mounted in the air after them, 
soon overtook and mingled with them, and was never 
afterward seen to return."* 

The Magpie, which in Great Britain is so common 

* Wilson's "American Ornithology." 



52 



INSESSORES. 



and familiar a bird, is comparatively little known in 
the United States, its haunts being strictly confined 

to the vast territory 
lying west of the Mis- 
sissippi, where, in some 
districts, it appears to 
be abundant. It is 
represented as a bold, 
active, and restless spe- 
cies, constantly flying 
from place to place; 
being possessed of all 
the voracity peculiar 
to his tribe, and very 
fond of the eggs and 
young of other birds, 
especially Chickens, 
Pheasants, and Par- 
Ma * pie ' tridges; it will even 

alight upon the backs of cattle, and peck out the 
larvae of insects that are secreted in the skin, and is 
quite well satisfied with carrion if no better food is 
at hand. 

" In 1804, an exploring party, under the command 
of Captains Lewis and Clark, on their route to the 
Pacific Ocean, across the continent, first met with 
the Magpie somewhere near the great bend of the 
Missouri, and found that the number of these birds 
increased as they advanced. Here also the Blue Jay 
disappeared ; as if the territorial boundaries and ju- 
risdiction of these two noisy and voracious families 




THE MAGPIE. 53 

of the same tribe had been mutually agreed upon 
and distinctly settled. But the Magpie was found 
to be far more daring than the Jay, dashing into 
their very tents, and carrying off the meat from the 
dishes. One of the hunters who accompanied the 
expedition stated that they frequently attended him 
while he was engaged in skinning and cleaning the 
carcass of the deer, bear, or buffalo he had killed, 
often seizing the meat that hung within a foot or two 
of his head. On the shores of the Koos-koos-ke 
river, on the west side of the great range of Rocky 
Mountains, they were found to be equally numerous. 
u It is highly probable that those vast plains or 
prairies, abounding with game and cattle, frequently 
killed for the mere hides, tallow, or even marrow- 
bones, may be one great inducement for the residency 
of these birds, so fond of flesh and carrion. Even 
the rigorous severity of winter in the high regions 
along the head-waters of the Rio del Norte, Arkansas, 
and Red Rivers, seems insufficient to force them from 
those favorite haunts ; though it appears to increase 
their natural voracity to a very uncommon degree. 
Colonel Pike relates that in the month of December, 
in the neighborhood of the North Mountain, these 
birds were seen in great numbers. 'Our horses/ 
says he, ' were obliged to scrape the snow away to 
obtain their miserable pittance ; and, to increase their 
misfortunes, the poor animals were attacked by the 
Magpies, who, attracted by the scent of their sore 
backs, alighted on them, and in defiance of their 
wincing and kicking, picked many places quite raw; 
5* 



54 



INSESSORES. 



the difficulty of procuring food rendering these birds 
so bold, as to alight on our men's arms, and eat meat 
out of their hands/ " * 

There are two species of Magpie found within the 
limits of the United States ; the Common Magpie, 
which we have just described, and the Yellow-billed 
Magpie, both of which may be styled showy and or- 
namental birds. Their long, wedge-shaped tails, com- 
posed of beautifully colored feathers of brilliant blue 
and shining green, give them a peculiarly elegant and 
graceful appearance. The head, neck, back, and 
throat of the Common Magpie are black, the lower 
parts, together with the scapulars, white, the tail, 
upper wing-coverts, and secondary quills of the wings, 
are rich green with purplish reflections. The Yellow- 
billed Magpie is very similar to the above in size and 
appearance, except that the bill is bright yellow, and 
the crown of the head is glossed with green. It is 
a resident of Upper California. 

The family of birds of which the Common Blue 
Jay is the principal representative in the United 
States, probably enjoys as wide-spread a reputation 
as any other division of our American Fauna. It is 
said that with the exception of Southern Africa, Aus- 
tralia, and the Pacific Islands, there is no country 
upon the globe where some of its representatives are 
not found. But it is on the American Continent that 
it is most abundantly diffused, especially in Mexico 
and the countries lying adjacent to the Equator, where 
there are many beautiful species, displaying a great 

* Wilson's "American Ornithology." 



THE BLUE JAY. 55 

variety of the most exquisite tints in their plumage. 
A prevailing color of the whole group is blue, of dif- 
ferent shades, from a light azure or ultamarine, to a 
deep, dull indigo. In the United States we number 
about eleven species. In the north and east we have 
the Blue Jay and the Canada Jay ; in the south, the 
Florida Jay ; and in the west and north-west, the 
Ultamarine Jay, Steller's Jay, Prince Maximilian's 
Jay, Mexican Jay, and Beechy's Jay, the two latter 
being mostly confined to Texas and California. 

Nearly all our country boys are familiar with the 
Blue Jay, with his high, peaked crest, his black 




Blue Jay. 

whiskers, and his broad wings and tail so beautifully 
banded with blue, black, and white. His bold, 
sprightly bearing, his malicious and deceitful habits, 
his sly and cunning disposition, and his great fond- 
ness for tasting the eggs which other birds have laid, 
are facts in his history well known to most. His 



56 



INSESSORES, 



showy plumage, attractive form, and graceful mo« 
tions, as well as his restless and noisy activity, ren- 
der him one of the most prominent inhabitants of our 
woodlands. It is difficult to realize how a creature 
so eminently favored and gifted with so many per- 
sonal charms, should also be possessed of so much 
selfishness, mischief, and malice. But so it is ; and 
even in the beautiful garb of the Blue Jay we find 
the moral written, that it is unsafe to judge from ex- 
ternal appearances. It robs the nests of other birds 
indiscriminately, sucking the eggs or devouring the 
young, and will even attack large birds and other 
animals which have been wounded or otherwise dis- 
abled ; but true to his cowardly disposition, he sel- 
dom risks his safety in open combat with his equals. 
Audubon says, "The Cardinal Grosbeak will chal- 
lenge him, and beat him off the ground. The Bed 
Thrush, the Mocking Bird, and many others, although 
inferior in strength, never allow him to approach 
their nests with impunity; and the Jay, to be even 
with them, creeps silently to it in their absence, and 
devours their eggs and young whenever he finds an 
opportunity. I have," he adds, "seen one go its 
round from one nest to another every day, and suck 
the newly laid eggs of the different birds in the 
neighborhood, with as much regularity and compo- 
sure as a physician would call on his patients. I 
have also witnessed the sad disappointment it expe- 
rienced, when, on returning to its own home, it found 
its mate in the jaws of a snake, the nest upset, and 
the eggs all gone." 



THE CANADA JAY. 57 

The Canada Jay is a very plain and unpretending 
bird, being the only species of those we have named 
which is destitute of a brilliant plumage ; its predom 
inating colors being a dull slate and drab, with occa- 
sional markings of black. It inhabits the State of 
Maine, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, and in 
winter a few individuals are seen as far southward as 
Pennsylvania. It is abundant in the Canadas and 
Labrador, and has been found in the vicinity of Fort 
Astoria, on the Columbia river. It becomes very 
familiar with the wood-cutters of Maine, entering 
their camps on very social terms, and helping itself 
to such pieces of flesh as are within its reach. These 
wood-cutters sometimes " amuse themselves in their 
camp during their eating hours, with what they call 
i transporting the carrion bird/ This is done by cut- 
ting a pole eight or ten feet in length, and balancing 
it on the sill of their hut, the end outside the en- 
trance being baited with a piece of flesh of any kind. 
Immediately on seeing the tempting morsel, the Jays 
alight on it, and while they are busily engaged in 
devouring it, a wood-cutter gives a smart blow to the 
end of the pole within the hut, which seldom fails 
to drive the birds high in the air, and not unfre- 
quently kills them."* 

Prince Maximilian's Jay was first discovered in 
the Rocky Mountains by the celebrated naturalist 
whose name it bears, while travelling in the interior 
of North America. In form and general appearance, 
as well as in other important particulars, it differs 

* Audubon. 



58 



INSESSORES. 



from any other member of the group. The absence 
of the long expansive tail, which adds so much grace 
to the motions of other species, and its peculiarly 
short, clumsy figure, are very apparent. It, however, 
possesses in a very high degree the carnivorous and 
rapacious propensities of its tribe, living mostly upon 
frogs, lizards, and other reptiles. It appears to be 
rather a scarce bird, and quite difficult to procure on 
account of its shyness. Specimens are therefore sel- 
dom seen in our cabinets. 

The Shrikes in many respects closely resemble the 
Jays. With the exception of the head and bill, in 
general form they are not unlike ; in manners and 
habits they still more closely agree, and although 
some naturalists have assigned them a place imme- 
diately following the Hawks, in consequence of the 
shape of the head, being broad and stout, and also 
the hooked form of the bill, yet the other character- 
istics by which the genera are determined are unques- 
tionably in favor of their position being near the Crow 
family. 

The Great American Shrike, or Butcher Bird, is 
more than a match for the Blue Jay in cruel rapac- 
ity. Its food consisting almost exclusively of large 
insects, birds, and the smaller quadrupeds, it has 
attained the reputation of being an expert hunter, 
seizing upon its prey with great dexterity, much after 
the manner of the Sparrow Hawk. It is said to pos- 
sess the faculty of imitating the notes of other birds, 
especially such as are indicative of distress, which it 
does no doubt for the purpose of decoying them 



THE BUTCHER BIRD. 



59 



within its reach, as it ha3 been known upon such oc- 
casions to dart suddenly into the thicket and bear off 
the body of some deluded victim. It will also occa- 
sionally pursue its prey upon the wing for a consid- 
erable distance, and 
sometimes succeeds in 
bringing it to the 
ground. 

Like the Jays, this 
bird has the habit of 
stowing away its sur- 
plus food, as though 
for future use. The 
Jay finds some hole 
in a tree, or crack or 
crevice in the bark, 
where he secretes 
what he does not need 
for the present; while 
the Butcher Bird im- Butcher Bird, 

pales its victims upon thorns or other sharp points 
that may happen to suit its purpose. The object of 
its so doing remains a mystery, many opinions rela- 
tive to the subject having been expressed by various 
observers, but this part of the history of this singular 
bird has yet to be properly elucidated. 

The Butcher Bird inhabits most of the Eastern, 
Middle, and Southern States, retiring during Sum- 
mer to the more northern and mountainous districts, 
for the purpose of incubation. \The nest is generally 
built among the forked branches near the top of a 




60 INSESSORES. 

small tree ; it is composed externally of grass, moss, 
and leaves ; internally of fibrous roots, and is warmly 
lined with feathers. The eggs are mostly four in 
number, of a dull ashy hue, spotted and streaked tow- 
ard the great end with brown. 

Among the man} r charms which attend upon the 
opening of Spring, and by their sweetness and beauty 
do much to render its advent a joyous and lovely sea- 
son, one of the most pleasing is the song of the birds. 
How gentle and soothing are their tones, as, with the 
highest glee, they warble out their inspired music ! 
How peaceful are the thoughts that occupy the mind 
that has been abstracted from itself, by the distant 
voice of some modest little bird ! We can hardly 
place too high an estimate upon the kindly influences 
which they exert upon us. Listen to the persuasive 
tones of the Red-eyed Vireo, — soft and sweet, and 
full of eloquence, bidding us cast aside our griefs, 
and be as happy as he. And the Warbling Vireo — 
light-hearted little fellow, he too tells us that the 
skies are bright and the sun is ever shining, notwith- 
standing clouds may obstruct them from our view ; 
and though the day be dark, he sings on, still look- 
ing for a bright to-morrow. 

These two charming little songsters belong to a 
group formerly placed with the Fly-catchers and 
Tyrants, on account of their possessing some of the 
habits of those birds j but a slight comparison will 
at once show the difference. The true Tyrants are 
of a stout, heavy build, particularly about the head 
and shoulders, while the Vireos are light and deli- 



THEVIREO. 61 

cate, approaching nearer the Warblers in that re- 
spect. The Vireos are more musical than the Ty- 
rants, the latter being as a family quite destitute of 
song. Their motions upon the wing are also quite 
dissimilar; the flight of the former being gliding, 
and with little motion of the wings, while that of the 
latter is accompanied frequently by rapid fluttering. 
A position in the family of Shrikes is now believed 
to be the most natural. There are a number of spe- 
cies of the Vireos found in our woods, but the two 
mentioned above are the most conspicuous on ac- 
count of the peculiar sweetness of their notes. Be- 
sides them we have the Solitary Vireo, the Yellow- 
throated Vireo, and the White-eyed Vireo ; the latter 
has sometimes been called the Politician, in conse- 
quence of their nests being seldom found without 
containing one or more pieces of newspaper in their 
texture. The nests of all these little birds are par- 
ticularly neat in their structure, being mostly com- 
posed of fine materials, and arranged with the utmost 
skill. That of the White-eye is built in a low bushy 
vine, a species of Sinilax which is very abundant. 
It is in the form of an inverted cone, and besides 
the newspaper, we find small dry twigs, grasses, and 
pieces of hornet's nests ; the whole is lined with fine 
fibrous roots. In this snug little cavity is often 
found the egg of the Cow-bird, several of the species 
of the Vireos being honored with the task of assist- 
ing to perpetuate this singular race. 

The next bird we shall present is the Cedar-bird, 
or Waxwing. Arrayed in a plain and modest suit, 
6 



62 



INSESSORES. 



possessed of no song, its only note being a low mo- 
notonous lisp, scarcely audible at a distance of fifty 

paces. Yet to it is 
given a plumage of 
the most exquisitely 
soft and silky tex- 
ture, wbich lays so 
close and smooth, 
that the webbings 
of each feather are 
scarcely distinguish- 
able. The head is 
surmounted by an 
ornamental crest, ca- 
pable of being raised 
or depressed at the 
will of the bird. The 
general color of the 
plumage is a beau- 
tiful fawn, lightest 
upon the lower parts ; a band of velvety black mar- 
gined above and below with white, passes from the 
forehead over the eye toward the hinder part of the 
head. The tail feathers are all broadly tipped with 
bright yellow ; the shafts of each, together with those 
of the secondary quills in the wings, being extended 
in a short appendage very much resembling a small 
piece of red sealing-wax. Those upon the tail are 
seldom found perfect, as they are soon worn off 
among the thick foliage of the cedars. 

The Cedar-birds are very abundant in spring and 




Upper fig. — Red-eyed Vireo. 
Lower fig. — Cedar-bird. 



THE CEDAR-BIRD. 63 

fall, associating in flocks of considerable size, moving 
about in a compact body, and alighting in such num- 
bers and so closely together, as almost to touch each 
other. Now is the sportsman's opportunity, as a 
dozen or more may be brought down at one shot, but 
so soon as they commence to disperse over the tree, 
which they do almost immediately, they become 
restless, and are more difficult to kill. At these sea- 
sons of the year their appetites are so voracious as to 
lead them to devour almost everything in the shape 
of fruit which comes in their way ; hence they be- 
come very fat, and are considered as excellent eat- 
ing, large numbers being exposed in our markets 
for sale. 

It is a singular fact that the Cedar-bird, although 
one of the earliest of our visitors, is probably the last 
to commence the important business of incubation, 
thousands of young birds of other species having left 
their nests before it has begun to build. They seem 
also to have less regard for the safety of their young 
than most birds, as the nest is placed in a low hori- 
zontal branch of an apple-tree ; and when approached 
the bird flies off without any manifestation of con- 
cern. 

We should scarcely be doing our readers justice, 
were we to omit noticing another family of quiet 
little birds which are the farmer's special friends. 
Of these the White-breasted Nuthatch is probably 
the most familiar representative in the Middle States. 
It is a social and familiar species, frequenting the 
garden and orchard, and even the house-top, where 



64 INSESSORES. 

it may be seen sometimes picking in the decayed 
shingles for insects. As though aware of its useful- 
ness, it confidingly trusts in the protection of man, 
which indeed should always be afforded it, as its 
busy, active life is almost constantly devoted to his 
service, in the destruction of myriads of hurtful in- 
sects and their larvae. Its note is a low chirp, which 
it occasionally utters as it runs up and down the 
trunks of the trees in search of food. It is extremely 
nimble when so engaged, moving with great facility 
sideways or head downwards, in which position it 
will sometimes stop and gaze with a peculiarly quaint 
expression at the bystander for some time, although 
he may be within a few paces of the tree, and then 
with a sudden jerk of its wings, off it goes to an ad- 
joining tree. During summer they retire to the 
woods, where they dig out a small hole in some de- 
cayed tree with their long sharp bills, at the bottom 
of which the female lays her eggs. There are three 
other species of this family in the United States, all 
of them active and pretty little creatures. The Brown- 
headed Nuthatch is quite abundant in the South, 
where it is a constant resident, but is seldom found 
north of the State of Maryland ; while the Eed-bel- 
lied Nuthatch occupies the eastern and northern dis- 
tricts ; its occurrence south of Pennsylvania is rare. 
The latter is quite as abundant in the mountainous 
parts of Pennsylvania as the White-breasted species. 
Of the California Nuthatch but little is known, but 
as its name implies, it is an inhabitant of Upper Cali- 
fornia. 



USEFULNESS OF BIRDS. 65 

We cannot too forcibly impress upon our country 
friends the value they should attach to the lives of 
these little birds, and unless for scientific purposes 
they should positively prohibit their being destroyed. 
The idea that they suck the sap from the tree is too 
preposterous to be listened to. But the assertion 
that they save an enormous amount of fruit from de- 
struction by insects, is true. 



6* 



66 XNSESS0RE8 



CHAPTER IV. 

INSESSORES: PASSERES— OSC1NES. 

A. STROLL INTO THE WOODS OP CAROLINA — MOCKING BIRD- 
WOOD ROBIN CAT-BIRD ROBIN GOLDEN-CROWNED 

THRUSH — BROWN THRUSH — FINCHES — SNOW BUNTING — 
SONG SPARROW — INDIGO BIRD — NONPAREIL — HOUSE PINCH 
— CROSSBILL — CARDINAL GROSBEAK — BLUE GROSBEAK- 
SCARLET TANAGER. 

We will now take a stroll into the woods of Caro- 
lina, and see if there is anything among the feathered 
inhabitants of the South that is peculiarly attractive 
and worthy of attention. The lofty branches of the 
Long Leaved Pines are waving majestically over our 
heads, their fine and beautiful foliage being here and 
there varied by a clump of ')aks and Hickory. Clus- 
;ering vines of many sorts are twining themselves 
around the giant stems, wreathing the branches with 
festoons of gay-colored flowers, and mingling their 
fragrance with the sweet bloom of many a flowering 
6hrub. The air is soft and balmy, and possessed of 
a peculiar freshness which is characteristic of a pine 
forest. Nature here seems to have profusely spread 
her charms on every side, pointing us at each step to 
some new object of admiration. The mellow whistle 
of the Red Bird is heard overhead, together with the 
call of the Jay, the soft warbling of the Vireos, the 



THE MOCKING BIRD. 69 

mewing of the Cat-bird, the loud clear melody of the 
Wood Robin, the shrill cry of the Woodpecker, and 
many other voices equally attractive. As we advance 
into the thicket the confusion of sounds increases; 
every song with which we are familiar, and many 
more, seem suddenly let loose upon the ear, and last, 
though it is broad day, we are surprised to hear the 
cry of the Whip-poor-will. This exciting our curios- 
ity, we naturally look around to discover the cause 
of so strange an occurrence; but still sounds the 
clear cry of" Whip-poor-will ! whip-poor-will !" When 
suddenly there darts up from a low bush near by a 
fine Mocking Bird, and settling on a branch within 
our view, continues his varied melody. The secret 
is at once explained ; the little mimic before us has 
been the sole cause of our surprise, and there he sits 
flirting his long tail from side to side with an air of 
perfect satisfaction, expanding his wings and stretch- 
ing his neck in all directions, while he calls out with 
much animation, " Bob -White! Bob -White!" and 
before poor Bob -White has time to scamper to his 
covey, the screams of the Pigeon Hawk are heard 
wild and clear; then immediately his voice falls into 
some soft and tender warble, gradually rising higher 
and higher until we recognize, among a host of others, 
the clear and ringing melody of the Brown Thrush, 
set off with the gentler tones of the Robin and Blue- 
bird, occasionally interspersed with some fine, pleas- 
ing original notes. We stand and listen with delight 
to this grand concert of Nature's great musician, his 
voice ever changing, ever sweet, until the twilight 



70 



INSESSORES 



unconsciously steals upon us ; still the serenade con- 
tinues. The pale moon glimmers in the eastern sky, 
and as it grows brighter and brighter and darts its 
vivid beams into the forest's deep recess, our little 
performer, as though animated with fresh spirit, 
seems to strain his utmost powers in pouring forth a 
flood of the most enchanting song. This exquisite 
aerial music is often maintained during most of the 
night, or until the moon sets, two or three birds some- 
times vying with each other in the strength of their 
voices. 




But it is not in the Southern States alone that the 
Mocking Bird is found, it having been seen in Penn- 
sylvania and even as far north as Boston ; in these 
places it is generally shy, and does not sing with that 



THE THRUSHES. 71 

energy which characterizes it at the South. In Loui- 
siana it remains as a constant resident, feeding during 
winter on the numerous berries and small fruits which 
are mostly abundant. 

In the Northern and Middle States, the place of 
the Mocking Bird is filled by the Wood Robin or 
Wood Thrush, a bird whose song, although not so 
varied as that of his southern neighbor, is never- 
theless, on account of its peculiar power and sweet- 
ness, not less pleasing. Audubon says that among 
all the feathered tribes of the woods, this is his fa- 
vorite; and we question if this is not the general 
opinion of most of those who are accustomed to the 
different notes of our best songsters. 

It delights in deep shady woodlands, where there 
is a thick undergrowth of low shrubbery, and through 
which meanders some shallow brook, that 
"Sparkles out among the ferns, 
To bicker down a vale." 
Here its loud, clear, and mellow voice may be heard 
almost from morning till night, but more particularly 
just after daybreak, and in the evening, continuing 
it until some time after sunset. 

There are various kinds of Thrushes which are 
interesting, but which our limits will hardly admit 
us fully to describe. With the Robin almost every 
child that has been much in the woods is familiar. 
It is gifted with considerable powers of song, the 
note being a loud, clear, and very musical warble, 
uttered with much force and rapidity. We have 
also the Golden-crowned Thrush, which builds a nest 



72 




Robin. 



upon the ground so resembling an oven as to have 
given it with some the title of Oven Bird. It also 
is very abundant in the woods during summer, and 
has a loud, shrill voice, which can hardly be called 
musical. 

Another favorite member of this family is the 
Brown Thrush or Thrasher. Its song is very clear 
and melodious, resembling more that of the Wood 
Thrush, but not attended with that peculiar softness 
of expression which renders the latter a songster of 
superior merit. 

The Thrushes appear to be gifted with consider- 
able intelligence, and display much sagacity in pro- 
tecting themselves and their young from danger. 
The Mocking Bird is often annoj^ed by the predatory 
visits of the Rattlesnake, against which he battles 
with great ferocity, avoiding dexterously his venom- 
ous bite, and at the same time pecking at his eyes 



THETHRUSHES. 73 

and head with such vehemence as to drive him quite 
away from the spot. The Brown Thrush also finds 
an enemy in the Blacksnake, which quietly and almost 
unobserved crawls into the nest for the purpose of 
making a meal of the eggs or young. But no sooner 
do the old birds catch sight of him, than a general 
uproar ensues ; other thrushes in the vicinity assem- 
ble at the cry of distress and boldly assault the in- 
truder, fairly pecking the eyes from his head, and it 
may be well for the poor snake if he escapes without 
being stretched lifeless upon the ground. 

An anecdote is told of a Thrush, of what species 
we are uncertain, who had built her nest near the 
spot where some rocks were being blown with pow- 
der. At first, whenever the blast would explode she 
was disturbed by the fragments of rock flying in all 
directions, but still she would not leave the spot. At 
length observing that just before the explosion there 
was a bell rung, upon which the miners immediately 
withdrew to a place of safety, she concluded to fol- 
low their example ; accordingly, when the bell rung 
she retired to the spot where the workmen were shel- 
tered, and dropped close to their feet, remaining 
until the explosion had taken place, when she re- 
turned to her nest. The story of her sagacity was 
soon told, and visitors wished to gratify themselves 
by observing the bird. But as explosions could not 
be produced whenever they pleased, the bell was 
rung instead, which for a time answered the purpose ; 
but the bird was not to be so trifled with ; she re- 
fused to leave her eggs merely to amuse her visitors, 
7 



71 



INSESSORES. 



and so when the bell was rung she peeped out to see 
if the workmen retreated, and if not, she remained 
quietly on her nest. 

One of the sweetest as well as the most familiar 
notes with which we are acquainted, is that of the 
Bluebird. He is among the earliest visitors from 
the South, even coming to us from a great distance 
to pass a few warm, bright days before the close of 
Winter, disappearing, however, at the return of severe 
cold. But no sooner has the first breath of Spring 
offered him a more certain inducement to remain, 
than he is seen flitting cheerily about the farm-house 
and along the fence-rows, uttering his soft and plain- 
tive warble with a degree of innocence which no 
sensitive heart could fail to appreciate. He early 
visits his old haunts about the wood-shed and out- 
houses, examining the spot where his last year's nest 
was built, and with all the ardor and zeal of a new- 
born affection he assists his mate in rearranging tho 
materials for their abode, which is often in a box 
made for his use and nailed to a post in the garden ; 
but not unfrequently he builds in the hole of some 
decayed tree or old gate-post. The writer once saw 
one of these nests which had been built at the bot- 
tom of a hole in a gate-post, from which it required 
some ingenuity on the part of the old birds to effect 
the escape of their young, the hole being too deep 
for them to get out alone. This difficulty they had 
overcome by placing a few small sticks on one side 
of the hole in the form of a ladder, by which means 
they could crawl out. The Bluebird sometimes no 



THE BLUEBIRD. 77 

sooner becomes nicely and to all appearance perma- 
nently fixed in his snug little box, than he is attacked 
with such vigor and determination by the Wren, that 
he is compelled to give up the premises which he had 
preoccupied, the latter not considering his more tardj 
habits as in any way lessening his right to its occu- 
pancy, provided he can gain possession. 

There is something sweetly attractive in the man- 
ners and habits as well as the song of the Bluebird. 
Attaching himself closely. to the habitations of man, 
he seems to have become a sort of domesticated pet, 
whose annual reappearance among us is welcomed 
with peculiar pleasure. It is probable that he re- 
mains with us during a greater portion of the year 
than any other migratory song-bird, unless it be the 
Robin. Before the cold breath of Winter has passed 
away, he comes to us fresh from a land of sunshine 
and flowers, with a merry little heart beating high 
beneath his bright chestnut bosom, and his little 
throat seeming to stretch to its utmost capacity to 
cheer our lone hours with his song. During Sum- 
mer he is our ever-constant and ever-welcome com- 
panion. He attends us in our rambles, flitting before 
us as we walk by the roadside. If we pass near the 
place where his nest is built, he will mount a stake 
near by and warble out his sweet little ditty, his 
bright azure coat sparkling in the sun, as he nimbly 
twits himself about, opening and shutting his wings 
frequently and in rapid succession. He watches 
carefully over the interests of the garden, and many 
a noxious caterpillar is transferred from his luiking- 
7* 



78 



INSESSORES 



place among the vegetables to the mouths of his 
hungry little ones. 

" When all the gay scenes of the summer are o'er, 

And autumn slow enters, so silent and sallow, 
And millions of warblers, that charmed us before, 

Have fled in the train of the sun-seeking Swallow, 
The Bluebird, forsaken, yet true to his home, 

Still lingers, and looks for a milder to-morrow, 
Till, forced by the horrors of winter to roam, 

He sings his adieu in a lone note of sorrow." 

There are two other species of Bluebirds in the 
United States, both of which are inhabitants of the 
far West. The Western Bluebird resembles our own 
closely, but is readily distinguished from it; the 
principal difference is that the chestnut of the throat 
extends in a collar round the neck. The Arctic Blue- 
bird is a beautiful creature, the whole plumage being 
of a soft ultamarine, least brilliant on the throat and 
breast. It is found as far north as the mouth of 
the Columbia river. 

Perhaps there is no family of the Passerine Inses- 
sores more numerous, or containing a greater variety, 
than the Fringillinae or Finches. It consists of about 
nineteen subdivisions and comprises between sixty 
and seventy species, all inhabiting the territory of 
the United States. It would be impossible for us 
here to enter upon any very general description of 
these birds \ we must therefore confine ourselves to 
a few of the most prominent individuals among them, 
leaving it to our readers to pursue the study of this 
interesting group as their inclination may lead them, 



THE SNOW BUNTING. 79 

by the assistance of more complete or voluminous 
works. 

The cold and icy regions of Labrador and Green- 
land are inhabited by a number of beautiful birds, 
which are very rarely seen except during their short 
stay among us in winter, when the severity of the 
northern climate and the scarcity of food compel 
them to remove to a warmer latitude. Among these 
are the Lapland Longspur and the Snow Bunting. 
They are both quite abundant in the Western States 
during winter, but the former is seldom met with 
near the Atlantic coast, confining itself principally 
to the region of country lying north from Kentucky 
and west of Pennsylvania. In Nova Scotia and the 
States of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, the 
Snow Buntings make their appearance in large flocks, 
about the time of the first fall of snow, and spread 
themselves over great tracts of country in search of 
grubs, larvae of insects, seeds, and any other sub- 
stance that will answer the purpose of food; as the 
severity of the season advances, they proceed south- 
ward, occasionally, though rarely, as far as the vicin- 
ity of Philadelphia. In Summer these birds not only 
inhabit Labrador, Greenland, and Iceland, but even 
the piercing climate of Spitzbergen, where the in- 
tensity of the cold is such that vegetation is nearly 
extinct. Indeed, they seem to make the whole coun- 
try within the limits of the Arctic Circle, their home, 
from whence they spread themselves ic vast numbers 
southward on both continents, upon the opening of 
the Arctic winter. 



80 



INSESSORES. 



The plumage of the Snow Bunting varies so much 
with age, climate, and other circumstances, that it is 
aim )st impossible in the same flock to procure more 
. .— ==_-^^_ _ ==£._ than a few specimens 

-.: -^U whose markings and 

colors are precisely 
similar. They are for 
the most part white, 
with various inter- 
mixtures of fawn 
color and black upon 
the head, back,shoul- 
ders,and wings. Some 
specimens are pure 
white, others white 
and black only, while 
in some the fawn col- 
or predominates. 

Snow Bunting. We mugt not CQn . 

found the Snow Bunting with our familiar and wel- 
come little winter visitant, the Snow Bird. Although 
both belong to the same family, they differ greatly in 
their size, appearance, and manners, the latter being 
fully one-third smaller. The predominating color of 
its plumage is a deep leaden brown, with white on 
the breast and sides, and two white feathers on each 
side of the tail. This little bird comes to us just as 
the ground is being strewn with the autumn leaves, 
and, continuing during the severest winters, leaves 
us again for the north early in the Spring. It is a 
Bprightly and active as well as a social and confiding 




THE SONG SPARROW. 



81 



bird, entering the city in great numbers, so that thero 
is scarcely an open garden where they may not be 
found picking up the crumbs and pieces of waste 
food that are thrown out. In the country they some- 
times mingle in small flocks with the Tree Sparrows 
and Titmice. They seem particularly active just 
after a fresh fall of snow, flying about from bush to 
bush with apparent delight, twittering and chirping 
with great animation. We cannot help wondering 
what a winter would be without the Snow Birds; for 
however we may appear to be indifferent to their 
existence, they cer- 
tainly exert a silent 
influence upon us, 
in enlivening and 
animating a scene 
which without them 
might be dreary and 
dull. 

Among the many 
beautiful little Spar- 
rows and Finches 
that tenant our 
groves during the 
summer months, the 
Song Sparrow and 
the Indigo Bird pre- 
sent themselves as 
objects peculiarly 
worthy of our attention. The former, although rather 
a plain and unobtrusive little fellow, still merits oar 

F 




Upper fig. 
Lower fig, 



82 INSESSORES. 

affection for the sweet and sprightly notes with which 
he cheers us so early in the Spring. Although par- 
tially migratory, yet in the warmer parts of Pennsyl- 
vania and New Jersey he may be considered as a 
permanent resident. Here his notes are heard in 
advance of the Bluebird. His song is not possessed 
of much variety, but is uttered with great force and 
sweetness. Most birds become quite silent after the 
brooding season is passed, but not so with our little 
Sparrow ; he sings with as much animation in the 
Autumn as in the Spring ; and sometimes even in 
the depth of Winter his clear and cadenced voice 
may be heard among the low bushes which skirt our 
woodlands. 

The Indigo Bird, as its name implies, is gifted 
with a coat of the deepest and most brilliant blue. 
It is quite a small bird, about the size of the Chip- 
ping Sparrow, and in addition to its gay and attrac- 
tive plumage, is possessed of a fine song. Mounted 
upon the top of a tall tree, it will sit for half an hour 
and chaunt its simple lay, which somewhat resem- 
bles that of the Canary, but is not so varied, com- 
mencing with a loud clear warble, and gradually fall- 
ing for six or eight seconds until it is scarcely audi- 
ble, and after a short pause repeating it without 
variation. Its favorite haunts are about gardens, 
clover-fields, the borders of woods, and the road- 
sides, where it may often be seen perched upon a 
fence-stake, singing with great vivacity. The female 
is not possessed of the same brilliant livery as her 



THE FINCHES. 83 

mate, neither do the males assume their perfect dress 
until the third season. 

Closely allied to the Indigo Bird are the Lazuli 
Finch and the Painted Finch or Nonpareil. The 
former abounds in the western territories, from the 
Arkansas river to the Columbia, but is never seen to 
the eastward. The males are beautiful birds, and 
frequently indulge in a pleasing and not unmusical 
song. Their plumage is of a fine light blue, with a 
slight tinge of green, except on the breast and sides, 
which are white, intermingled with fawn. The Non- 
pareil is one of the most common and familiar birds 
in the Southern States, particularly in the lower part 
of Louisiana. In the vicinity of New Orleans they 
are so abundant in the Spring that almost every 
orange grove seems alive with them, and they may 
be seen flying along the roadsides in great numbers. 
When they first arrive from their winter quarters in 
Mexico, the males are very pugnacious and quarrel- 
some, and araalmost continually engaged in fighting. 
This jealous disposition is made use of by the bird- 
fanciers to catch them alive in their traps, which 
they do in the following manner : 

"A male bird in full plumage is shot and stuffed 
in a defensive attitude, and perched among some 
grass-seed, rice, or other food, on the same platform 
as the trap-cage. This is taken to the fields, or near 
the orangeries, and placed in so open a situation, that 
it would be difficult for a living bird of any species 
to fly over it without observing it. The trap is set. 
A male Painted Finch passes, perceives it, and dives 



84 



INSESSORES. 



towards the stuffed bird with all the anger which its 
little breast can contain. It alights on the edge of 
the trap for a moment, and throwing its body against 
the stuffed bird, brings down the trap and is made a 
prisoner. In this manner thousands of these birds 
are caught every spring."* 

The beauty of the plumage of this little Finch, as 
well as the sweetness of its song, has rendered it a 
general favorite among those who are fond of keeping 
pets ; it sings with great energy in confinement, and 
with care will live for eight or ten years. 

Of all the gay-winged minstrels with which our 
country abounds, the Painted Finch is one of the 
most brilliantly attired. The head is of a beautiful 
cobalt blue, a patch of bright yellow covers the back 
and shoulders, while the rump and the whole lower 
parts, including the throat and breast, are of flaming 
scarlet. The females are plain greenish-olive above, 
and dusky yellow below; the young birds of both 
sexes assume this garb from the nest, the males gra- 
dually undergoing a change with each successive 
moult until about the fourth or fifth season, when 
their dress is complete. 

In New Mexico and California there is a beautiful 
and familiar little bird called the American House 
Finch, which is probably as great a favorite among 
the people of those countries as the Barn Swallow, 
the Wren, and the Bluebird are with us. The fol- 
lowing interesting description of its manners and 



THE FINCHES. 85 

habits, by Col. M'Call, we extract from Cassin'a 
" Birds of America : " 

" I found this charming little Finch abundant at 
Santa Fe* (New Mexico), where it commenced nest- 
ing in March, although the weather was still wintry, 
and so continued, with frequent snow-storms, for 
more than a month. Notwithstanding this, the song 
of the male failed not to cheer his mate during in- 
cubation, with the liveliest melody. The notes often 
reminded me of the soft trill of the House Wren, 
and as often of the clear warble of the Canary. The 
males of the last year, though mated and apparently 
equally happy and quite as assiduous as their seniors, 
were not yet in full plumage, having little or nothing 
of the red colors that mark the adult birds. 

" The nests which were stuck into every cranny 
about the eaves and porticoes of the houses through- 
out the town, were variously composed of dry grass, 
fine roots, horse-hair, long pieces of cotton twine, or 
strips of old calico ; in fine, of countless odds and 
ends, that were picked up about the yards ; — these 
were curiously and firmly interwoven, so as to make 
a warm and comfortable abode for the new-comers. 

" His disposition toward other birds appeared to be 
mild and peaceful, as I had many opportunities to 
observe. I will mention one instance. In the piazza 
of the house I occupied, quite a colony of these birds 
had their nests : here the work of building and in- 
cubation had gone on prosperously for several weeks, 
although the weather at times was stormy and cold, 
and ere the genial warmth of Spring was fairly felt, 
8 



8C INSESSORES. 

the colony might have been said to be fully es- 
tablished. As the season advanced and birds of a 
less hardy nature began to arrive from the South, a 
pair of Barn Swallows made their appearance, and 
forthwith entered the territory of the Finches. And 
here they at once, very unceremoniously, began to 
erect their domicil. This act of aggression would 
have been fiercely resented by most birds, and vio- 
lent measures would have been resorted to, to eject 
the intruders. The conduct of the little Finches was 
quite different; at first they stood aloof, and seemed 
to regard the strangers with suspicion and distrust, 
rather than enmity. In the meantime the Swallows 
went quietly to work, without showing any inclina- 
tion to intermeddle ; and in a day or two (their mud 
walls all the time rapidly advancing) they gained the 
confidence of their neighbors, and finally completed 
their work unmolested. Indeed, a perfect harmony 
was established between the parties, which I never 
saw interrupted by a single quarrel during the time 
they remained my tenants. " 

This little bird is half-brother to our Purple Finch, 
which inhabits Canada and the Northern and East- 
ern States during Summer, and the Middle and South- 
ern States during "Winter. The latter, however, does 
not possess the mild and peaceable disposition of the 
former, but is very quarrelsome and noisy even among 
themselves. When feeding, as they often do, in 
small flocks, upon the same trees, if one should hap- 
pen to approach too near the spot where another is 



THE COMMON CROSSBILL. 87 

cropping the tender buds, a difficulty mostly ensues, 
in which the weaker party is compelled to retire. 

But the most remarkable and noteworthy member 
of the Finch family is the Crossbill. The singular 
form of the bill, and the peculiar manner in which 
it collects its food, give it a more than usually inter- 
esting character. There are two species, differing 
somewhat in their plumage, as well as in the locality 
in which they are found. The Common Crossbill, 
which appears to be the most abundant, inhabits dur- 
ing winter the pine forests of the Northern and Mid- 
dle States, extending its migrations as far south as 
Maryland. They congregate in small flocks or fami- 
lies, and glean among the ripened cones of the Firs 
and Pines, where they find an abundant supply of 
nutritious food in the sweet kernels, which they de- 
tach from the husks with great dexterity. At first 
sight the bill of this bird appears like a deformity, 
but upon further observation we find that for the 
purpose to which it is applied by the owner, no better 
form could have been adopted ; and we are obliged 
to confess that Nature, in thus deviating from the 
usual form, understood well her own purposes, and 
that instead of its being a monstrosity, it is only an- 
other striking proof of the wisdom and skill of an 
Omnipotent Creator. Their food, although consist- 
ing principally of the seeds of the Pine and other 
cone-bearing trees, is not by any means confined to 
them. When in the vicinity of an orchard, if there 
is any fruit, they are sure to be among it, cutting the 
apples to pieces to get at the seeds, of which they 



88 



INSESSORES. 



are very fond. They move about with great nimble- 
ness among the close, thick-set branches of the Firs, 
and when perched upon a cone will often stand upon 
one foot while they use the other in conveying the 
food to the mouth, somewhat after the manner of the 
Parrots. The plumage of the males is mostly a fine 
light yellowish red, intermingled with olive brown ; 
they vary much according to age and other circum- 
stances, and it is 
very difficult to pro- 
cure two birds in one 
flock that are pre- 
cisely similar. In 
the White -winged 
Crossbill this differ- 
ence is not so ob- 
servable, the mark- 
ings being always 
more distinct and 
the colors stronger. 
With the exception 
of the wings and tail, 
the whole body is of 
a rich crimson, in- 
whit^winged crossbill. terspersed with olive 

and black ; the wings and tail are black, the former 
being crossed with bars of pure white. This bird 
does not winter so far to the southward as the former 
species, at least it seldom makes its appearance in the 
latitude of Philadelphia, appearing to enjoy a colder 
and more northern or mountainous range. Its habits 




THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 89 

are similar to those of the former, its food and the 
manner of collecting it being the same. 

We will now conclude our observations among the 
Finches by noticing three more birds, which, for 
brilliancy of coloring, are perhaps unsurpassed by 
any of our feathered friends, unless it be the Non- 
pareil. 

The first is the Cardinal Grosbeak, that gay, active, 
and showy bird, which we sometimes see during a 
snow-storm, in company with the Snow Birds, flitting 
about among the trees and bushes, uttering its sharp 
chirp, and seeming to enjoy rather tban lament the 
rigors of the season. The plumage of this bird, un- 
der whatever circumstances it is viewed, must ever 
render it an attractive object. Whether seen through 
the deep foliage of Summer, busily engaged with its 
domestic concerns, or whether in a more inclement 
season it rambles with freedom over the snow-clad 
fields and through the leafless woods, its imposing 
form, the lengthened crest by which its head is sur- 
mounted, and its livery of fiery red, cannot fail to 
arrest the eye. In richness of plumage and strength 
of song, it is probably not surpassed by any of the 
other American Grosbeaks. There are various names 
by which it is known in the different sections of coun- 
try it inhabits, such as Red Bird, Virginia Nightin- 
gale, Cardinal Bird, etc. It is seldom seen to the 
eastward, or north of the southern boundary of New 
York. Southward from Maryland as far as Texas, 
it appears to be a constant resident; some individuals 
remaining during winter in the warmer parts of Penn- 
8* 



90 



INSESSORES, 



sylvania and iNew Jersey. Audubon says of this 
bird : " Its song is at first loud and clear, resembling 
the finest sounds produced by the flageolet, and gra- 
dually descends into more marked and continued 
cadences until it dies away in the air around. Dur- 
ing the love season, the song is emitted with increased 
emphasis by this proud musician, who, as if aware 
of his powers, swells his throat, spreads his rosy tail, 
droops his wings, and leans alternately to the right 
and left, as if on the eve of expiring with delight at 
the delicious sounds of his own voice. Again and 
again are those melodies repeated, the bird resting 
only at intervals to breathe. They may be heard 
from long before the sun gilds the eastern horizon, 
to the period when the blazing orb pours down its 
noonday floods of heat and light, driving the birds 
to the coverts to seek repose for awhile. Nature 
again invigorated, the musician recommences his song, 
when, as if he had never strained his throat before, 
he makes the whole neighborhood resound, nor ceases 
until the shades of evening close around him." 

The Blue Grosbeak is also an inhabitant of the 
southern portion of the United States, but, unlike 
its brother the Cardinal, is a shy, modest species, re- 
tiring to the deep recesses of some secluded spot, 
where the footsteps of the white man are seldom 
seen. Here, by the borders of some stagnant pool, 
where the poisoned fumes exhaled by decaying vege- 
tation are filling the air, are the favorite haunts and 
the chosen summer dwelling of this beautiful bird. 
It is rarely seen north of Virginia, although individ- 



THE SCARLET TANAGER. 91 

uals have been obtained in New Jersey and Penn- 
sylvania; southward from this it is more abundant, 
extending as far as Texas. It has also been seen in 
considerable numbers among the Rocky Mountains. 
Its plumage much resembles that of the Indigo Bird, 
but the blue upon the head and throat is much finer 
and lighter. Although the nest of this bird is gener- 
ally built near the ground, either in a low bush or a 
tuft of rank grass, it is observed that the male, which 
is possessed of a fine song, seldom or never utters 
more than a monotonous chirp when near it; but, 
retiring to the top of a tall detached tree, he will 
there indulge for some time in a succession of melo- 
dious strains. 

We now present to your notice a bird which is 
pre-eminently beautiful, in every sense in which the 
term is applicable. This is the Scarlet Tanager. 
Look at him, with his gracefully formed body clothed 
in the most brilliant and glowing scarlet, and his 
wings and tail of jetty black, as he sits upon a tree 
with a strong light falling upon him, or as he gam- 
bols among the thick foliage, uttering his simple 
plaintive note, and we shall behold one of the most 
lovely and attractive objects which our feathered 
world can afford. Every one should be familiar with 
the habits as well as the appearance of this elegant 
bird. It is widely scattered over the United States 
during the summer months, and although seeming 
to have a decided preference for the woods, it may 
sometimes be seen about the farm-house and in the 
orchard, where he occasionally builds his nest. This 



92 



INSESSORES, 



is a very slight structure, formed of the dry stalks 
of flax or grass, and so loosely put together that the 
light may easily be seen through it. The eggs are 
mostly three, of a dull blue color, spotted with brown 
or purple. Scarcely anything can exceed the attach- 
ment which these birds manifest for their young, as 
the following incident related by Wilson will show : 

" Passing through an orchard one morning, I 
caught one of these young birds, that had but lately 
left the nest. I carried it with me about half a mile, 
to show it to my friend, Mr. William Bartram ; and, 
having procured a cage, hung it up on one of the 
large pine trees in the botanic garden, within a few 
feet of .the nest of an Orchard Oriole, which also 
contained young ; hopeful that the charity or tender- 
ness of the Orioles would induce them to supply the 
cravings of the stranger. But charity with them, as 
with too many of the human race, began and ended 
at home. The poor orphan was altogether neglected, 
notwithstanding its plaintive cries ; and, as it refused 
to be fed by me, I was about to return it back to the 
place where I had found it, when, toward the after- 
noon, a Scarlet Tanager, no doubt its own parent, 
was seen fluttering round the cage, endeavoring to 
get in. Finding this impracticable, he flew off, and 
soon returned with food in hi? bill, and continued to 
feed it till after sunset, taking «ip his lodgings on the 
higher branches of the same tree. In the morning, 
almost as soon as day broke, he was again seen most 
actively engaged in the same affectionate manner; 
and, notwithstanding the insolence of the Orioles, 



THE AMERICAN REDSTART 



93 



continued his benevolent offices the whole day, roost- 
ing at night as before. On the third or fourth day, 
he appeared extremely solicitous for the liberation 
of his charge, using every expression of distressful 
anxiety, and every call and invitation that Nature 
had put in his power, for him to come out. This 
was too much for the feelings of my venerable friend ; 
he procured a ladder, and, mounting to the spot 
where the bird was suspended, opened the cage, took 
out the prisoner, and restored him to liberty and to 
his parent, who, with notes of great exultation, ac- 
companied his flight to the woods ! " 

The Tanager family embraces not only the Tana- 
ger proper, but the American Wood Warblers. The 
latter are most numerous in the Northern continent, 
as the former abound in the Southern. 

One of the most 
beautiful and in- 
teresting of the 
Wood Warblers is 
the American Red- 
start. This gay 
little bird is more 
noticeable in the 
early months of 
Spring, when it 
may be seen in 

Company with many American Redstart. 

other species of its kind, nimbly flitting from tree to 
tree, and from twig to twig, in search of insects, of 
which it is a very expert hunter; it will sometimes 




94 



INSESSORES. 



pursue a swarm of small flies for a long distance ; 
during which the snapping of its bill may be dis- 
tinctly heard. In the deep shade of the woods the 
beauty of its markings shows to great advantage ; the 
jetty black, which is the predominating color, con- 
trasting finely with the streaks and bands of orange 
and vermilion on the sides, wings, and tail. 

This bird and the little Blue-gray " Fly-catcher," 
differ slightly from the greater number of the Wood 
Warblers in their more fly-catching habits. All are 
diminutive birds, generally very abundant in the 
Middle States early in the Spring, but mostly re- 
tiring to the North during Summer to rear their 
young. Their principal appearance is in the morn- 
ing just after sunrise, when every tree seems tenanted 
with them, all actively engaged in making a morning 
meal; this consists of insects and their larvae, of 
which they devour great quantities. Many of them 
are expert fly-catchers, nimbly darting after the pass- 
ing flies, while others are equally dexterous in clam- 
bering among the branches of the trees, hanging 
sometimes head downward, and holding on with one 
foot, and stretching their little necks in all directions 
in search of a favorite worm. Although these tran- 
sient visitors are, with some exceptions, nearly desti- 
tute of song, yet among them are to be found some 
of our most beautifully plumaged birds. 

The Yellow-poll Warbler, whose shrill notes are 
heard so constantly, during Spring and Summer, 
from almost every grove, and not unfrequently from 
the trees which surround the farm-house, and the 






- — i — - 



— 






THE MARYLAND Y 



ELLOW-m.ROAT 95 

Maryland Yellowtthroat, *»^^S^ESkSF#)sfcJ^ygl- 
iar representativesvof the family?" " r ft0 forniefiiHclad 
in a livery of brillia " 
sides and breast with 
orange. It builds a curioul 
anions; the forked branches of a low bush in the 
densest part of a thicket ; it is composed of flax or 
tow, which is well woven into a neat little bag, and 
lined with hair or the soft down from various plants; 
the whole is well fastened to the stems from which 
it is hung, by the threads of tow or flax being tightly 
twisted about them. While the female is sitting, the 
male bird will often feign lameness, in order to draw 
away the attention of an intruder from the objects 
of his affectionate care. 
The Maryland Yel- 
low-throat is the hum- 
ble and retired occu- 
pant of the low bushes 
and briers which are 
generally found grow- 
ing on the banks of 
small streams and in 
wet marshy places : 
here it twitters out its 
sweet and animated 
song of "Whitit'iti! 
Whitit'iti !" repeating 
it in rapid succession 
for a few times, as it 
rambles among the 

Upper jig. — Yellow-poll Warbler, 
branches Where its food Lower /^.-Magnolia Warbler. 








96 



2NSESS0RES. 



is lurking. Tts ambition seldom tempts it to leave the 
vicinity of the chosen spot where its nest is hung, 
nor to fly much above the level of the Alder and 
Hazel tops which surround its dwelling. It will, 
however, sometimes stray into the fields of growing 
grain, where it undoubtedly renders great service by 
the destruction of a multitude of noxious insects. 

Both of these little birds are selected by the fe- 
male Cow Bunting as foster-parents, to whom she 
commits the care of her young, by dropping her eggs 
in their nests. This singular and unnatural habit, 
of which we may say more in a future chapter, we 
believe does not exist in any other bird but the Eu 
ropean Cuckoo, and is a curious instance of the won 
derful variety to be seen everywhere in the works of 
an Omnipotent Deity. 

There are above twenty other species of these 
lovely little birds, some of which are very conspicuous 

for their beauty; 
among them are 
the Blackburnian 
Warbler, Hooded 
Warbler, Magnolia 
Warbler, Cerulean 
Warbler, Cape May 
Warbler, and the 
Mourning Warbler. 
The latter is so 
named in consequ- 
ence of the peculiar 
markings of the head and neck, they being of a 




Yellow-rumped Warbler. 



THE WARBLERS. 97 

beautiful leaden color, with bands of black upon the 
lower part of the throat. Most of these may be seen 
for a few weeks early in Spring, but it is difficult to 
distinguish between them, as they often frequent the 
tops of the tallest forest trees ; at other times they 
have been known to enter the city, and hop about 
the shrubbery of the gardens. At the most they 
are only known to us as the transient occupants of 
our fresh-budding groves, the cooler atmosphere of 
the mountains to which they retire, being more con- 
genial, and more favorable for the purposes of incu- 
bation. 

Closely connected with the Wood Warblers, is the 
family of the true Warblers. As an illustration of 
these, let us take the famous Nightingale of Europe, 
whose powerful and melodious voice excites the won- 
der and praise of the listener. That such a long- 
continued succession of loud, clear, and musical notes 
can be produced by a bird of such small dimensions, 
is truly astonishing. It is no less remarkable for the 
great variety in the tones than for their peculiar 
clearness and melody. In order to illustrate this 
point, some writer has attempted to reduce the notes 
to plain English, — a copy of which we here place 
before our readers : 

" Tiou, tiou, tiou., tiou, — Spe, tiou, squa, — Tio, 
tio, tio, tio, tio, tio, tio, tix, — Coutio, coutio, coutio, 
coutio, — Squo, squo, squo, squo, — Tzu, tzu, tzu, tzu, 
tzu, tzu, tzu, tzu, tzu, tzi, — Corror, tiou, squa, pipiqui, 
— Tozozozozozozozozozozozo, zirrhading ! Tsissisi, 
tsissisisisisisisis, — Dzorre, dzorre, dzorre, dzorre, hi, 
9 G 



98 



INSESSORES. 



— Tzatu, tzatu, tzatu, tzatu, tzatu, tzatu, tzatu, dzi, 

— Dlo, dlo, dlo, dlo, dlo, dlo, dlo, dlo, dlo, — Quio 
tr-rrrrrrrr itz, — Lu, lu, lu, lu, li, li, li, li, HS, li§, lie", 
li§, — Qiiio didl li lulylie, — Hagur, gurr, quipio ! — 
Coui, coui, coui, coui, qui, qui, qui, gui, gui, gui, 
gui, — Goll, goll, goll, goll, guia hada doi, — Couigui, 
horr, ha diadia dill si ! — Hezezezezezezezezezezezeze- 
zezezeze cowar ho dzc hoi, — Quia, quia, quia, quia, 
quia, quia, quia, quia, ti, — Ki, ki, ki, io, io, io 
ioioioio ki, — Lu ly li le lai la, leu lo, didl io quia, — 
Kigaigaigaigaigaigaigaigai guiagaigaigai couior dzio 
dzio pi." 



THE FLY-CATCHERS. 99 



CHAPTER V. 

INSESSORES: PASSE RES, CLAMATORES, AND 
OSCINES. 

TDK FLY-CATCHER PEWEE — KING BIRD GREAT CRE8TED 

FLY-CATCHKR — WOOD FEWER WREN GREAT CAROLINA 

AND WINTER WREN — CHICK-A-DE-DE BROWN CREEPER. 

The resemblance which exists between the Swal- 
lows and the Fly-catchers, both in their formation 
and some of their habits, will at once be recognized 
by comparison. But differences will also be noticed 
sufficient to mark them as belonging to entirely dis- 
tinct families. The great powers of flight which ap- 
pertain to both are differently employed. The former 
seeks its insect food upon the wing, in a long-con- 
tinued ramble over hill and dale, meadow and lake, 
in which it seems to be more bent upon enjoying 
the pleasures of the chase, than upon merely grati- 
fying its appetite; while the latter contents itself 
with perching upon a twig, a fence-stake, or a tall 
stalk, quietly awaiting the approach of some favorite 
insect, when, quick as thought, it sallies forth in pur- 
suit, generally securing it in one wild sweep, and re- 
turning quickly to its former stand-point, to watch 
for the arrival of a fresh victim. 



100 



INSESSORES, 



In North and South America the Fly-catchers are 
replaced by a family whose habits and manners are 
entirely similar, but whose structure places them in 
a widely different position in the system. Their sing- 
ing organs being of the more imperfect type, they 
are assigned to the suborder Clamatores, while the 
true Fly-catchers, like the Swallows, belong to the 
Oscine suborder. These Tyrants, or Tyrant Fly- 
catchers, as they are called, are abundant in almost 
every section of the country ; there are few persons 
who have not had the opportunity of being familiar 
with the notes and appearance of many of them. 

Among the first birds which cheer our hearts at 
the approach of Spring, is the Pewee Fly-catcher, 
his soft, sweet, and not unmusical voice often sound- 
ing through the leafless grove long before the last 
traces of Winter have yielded to the softening sun- 
beams. The song of the Pewee is a sure and reliable 
prognostic of the coming of that lovely season when 
the earth again clothes herself in her beautiful gar- 
ments, and the air resounds with Nature's sweetest 
music. The social and familiar habits of this plain 
and modest little bird, as well as his confiding trust 
in man, must ever secure for him a conspicuous place 
in our affections, and entitle him and his little prop- 
erty to our earnest and zealous protection. This 
familiarity, however, sometimes subjects him to being 
made the mark of cruel and unthinking boys, who, 
with that wilful propensity for throwing stones which 
seems to be part of a boy's nature, are so reckless of 
consequences as to tease and torment the poor little 



THE KING BIRD. 103 

bird, until one, more "lucky" than the rest, strikes 
the deadly blow. The writer still remembers with 
what sorrowful feelings, when a boy, he once held in 
his hand tho body of a Pewee, which with a random 
toss of a stone he had deprived of life. Could all 
children feel as he then felt, how wrong it is wan- 
tonly to destroy that life which all have an equal 
right to enjoy, they would cease to make sport of it, 
and this charming little songster would possess to the 
full that security to which he is justly entitled. 

The Pewee often returns to a favorite summer re- 
sort for several successive years, occupying the same 
nest each season, merely repairing the injuries which 
it has received during the Winter. Audubon speaks 
of his having found the same pair of birds occupying 
a familiar nook in an old cavern which he had been 
accustomed to visit for a number of years. At one 
time he fastened to the legs of each of a brood of 
young birds, the offspring of this pair, a ring of sil- 
ver thread ; these they carried about with them for 
some time, and in the following Spring two of them 
were seen in the same vicinity, still wearing the sil- 
ver ring. 

The King Bird, or Tyrant Fly-catcher, is also a 
familiar summer visitant. Although by no means a 
large bird, he is nevertheless gifted with a degree 
of courage that would do justice to the largest of our 
feathered race ; and being remarkably quick and ac- 
tive upon the wing, he becomes a formidable enemy 
to such of his neighbors as have the temerity to en- 
croach upon his dominions. In the early part of the 



104 



INSESSORES. 



Summer his jealous and quarrelsome disposition is 
most apparent. While his mate is occupied with her 
domestic concerns, he is ever watchful for the appear- 
ance of intruders, and any attempt to be sociable is 
repelled with little ceremony. The Eagle, the Hawk, 
and the Crow, although greatly his superiors in size 
and strength, are equally the objects of his animosity, 
and no sooner does one of them make his appearance, 
than our hero sallies forth to give him battle; and 
mounting above him, he darts down upon his back 
with the swiftness of an arrow, and by repeated pecks 
with his sharp, powerful bill, from which his less 
active foe finds it difficult to escape, he soon remains 
master of the field, having driven the intruder quite 
out of the neighborhood. There is, however, one 
bird, which, although no larger nor stronger than him- 
self, has often proved too much for him ; this is the 
Purple Martin. His superior quickness upon the 
wing enables him to evade the sharp blows of the 
King Bird's bill, and very frequently to get the mas- 
tery of him and drive him off; sometimes a long and 
obstinate contest between them ends in the death of 
the latter. 

Notwithstanding the fondness of the King Bird 
for bees and sometimes for fruit, he is among the best 
of the farmer's friends. No Hawk will venture near 
a barn-yard while he is about, while the swarms of 
noxious insects which he daily destroys, together with 
other little services for which we are indebted to him, 
strongly recommend him to our special care and pro- 
tection. 



THE WRENS. 105 

The extent of country over which he roams is very 
wide, reaching from Texas to Canada, and as far west 
as the Columbia river. In Florida his place is sup- 
plied by the Piping Fly-catcher, which he so nearly 
resembles that they might by some be mistaken for 
the same bird, being possessed of the same active 
and courageous disposition when intruded upon by a 
stranger. 

We have also abounding in our woods during the 
summer months the Great Crested Fly-catcher and 
the Wood Pewee, the former a noisy, active fellow, 
often frequenting the orchard about cherry time, the 
latter a sprightly little bird about the size of a Spar- 
row, whose sweet notes of " Powee ! Powee ! Peto- 
way ! " prolonged with a mournful accent, may be 
heard from morning till evening; even during the 
heated hours of noon, when most other birds are 
silent, this little songster still utters his plaintive 
ditty with a sweet earnestness that cannot fail to 
attract attention. 

We will now take up the families of the more per- 
fect singing birds, though with regret that our limits 
will not permit a foray into the lands of sun and 
flowers, the tropical home of the lovely Cotingas, 
which are represented by a few species in the south- 
western regions of our country. 

We will first notice the Wrens and Titmice. With 
the former almost every one has some acquaintance. 
There are several very beautiful species inhabiting 
the country west of the Mississippi, but our know- 
ledge of them is but limited. Of those further east- 



106 



INSESSORES. 



ward we shall take some notice. Who does not love 
the first sight of the House Wren, as he returns to 
us after his long winter rambles in the south ? His 
sweet and sprightly song is the very key-note of 
Spring, speaking of cloudless skies and verdant fields, 
of balmy air and music from the groves, of frolics 
among the wild flowers and rambles with the butter- 
flies; it speaks of love and joy and happiness among 
the myriad hosts of merry choristers, who are wing- 
ing their way from tropical climes to join in the 
grand harmony of Nature. Let us read what Wilson 
says of the Wrens : 

" This well-known and familiar bird arrives in Penn- 
sylvania about the middle of April, and about the 

8th or 10th of May 
,j begins to build its 

3%^># nest > some times in 
the wooden cornice 
under the eaves, or 
in a hollow cherry- 
tree, but most com- 
monly in small box- 
es, fixed on the top 
of a pole, in or near 
the garden, to which 
House Wren. he is extremely par- 

tial, for the great number of caterpillars and other 
larvae with which it constantly supplies him. If all 
these conveniences are wanting, he will even put up 
with an old hat nailed on the weather-boards, with a 
small hole for entrance ; and, if even this be denied 




THE HOUSE WREN. 107 

him, he will find some hole, corner, or crevice about 
the house, barn, or stable, rather than abandon the 
dwellings of man. In the month of June, a mower 
hung up his coat under a shed, near a barn; two or 
three days elapsed before he had occasion to put it 
on again ; thrusting his arm up the sleeve, he found 
it completely filled with some rubbish, as he expressed 
it, and, on extracting the whole mass, found it to be 
the nest of a Wren completely finished, and lined 
with a large quantity of feathers. In his retreat he 
was followed by the little forlorn proprietors, who 
scolded him with great vehemence for thus ruining 
the whole economy of their household affairs. 

" This little bird has a strong antipathy to cats ; 
for, having frequent occasion to glean among the cur- 
rant-bushes, and other shrubbery in the garden, those 
lurking enemies of the feathered race often prove 
fatal to him. A box fitted up in the window of the 
room where I slept, was taken possession of by a pair 
of Wrens. Already the nest was built, and two eggs 
laid, when one day, the window being open, as well 
as the room door, the female Wren, venturing too far 
into the room to reconnoitre, was sprung upon by 
Grimalkin, who had planted herself there for the 
purpose, and, before relief could be given, was de- 
stroyed. Curious to see how the survivor would de- 
mean himself, I watched him carefully for several 
days. At first he sung with great vivacity for an 
hour or so, but, becoming uneasy, went off for half 
an hour; on his return, he chaunted again as before, 
went to the top of the house, stable, weeping willow, 



108 INSESSORES. 

that she might hear him.; but, seeing no appearance 
of her, he returned once more, visited the nest, ven- 
tured cautiously into the window, gazed about with 
suspicious looks, his voice sinking to a low, melan- 
choly note, as he stretched his little neck about in 
every direction. Returning to the box, he seemed 
for some minutes at a loss what to do, and soon after 
went off, as I thought, altogether ; for I saw him no 
more that day. Toward the afternoon of the second 
day he again made his appearance, accompanied with 
a new female, who seemed exceedingly timorous and 
shy, and who, after great hesitation, entered the box. 
At this moment the little widower or bridegroom 
seemed as if he would warble out his very life with 
ecstacy of joy. After remaining about half a minute 
in, they both flew off, but returned in a few minutes, 
and instantly began to carry out the eggs, feathers, 
and some of the sticks, supplying the place of the 
two latter with materials of the same sort, and ulti- 
mately succeeded in raising a brood of seven young, 
all of which escaped in safety. 

" Its food is insects and caterpillars, and, while 
supplying the wants of its young, it destroys, on a 
moderate .calculation, many hundreds a day, and 
greatly circumscribes the ravages of these vermin. 
It is a bold and insolent bird against those of the 
Titmouse and Woodpecker kind that venture to build 
within its jurisdiction • attacking them without hesi- 
tation, though twice its size, and generally forcing 
them to decamp. I have known him to drive a pair 
of Swallows from their newly formed nest, and take 



THE GREAT CAROLINA WREN. 109 



immediate possession of the premises, i» which his 
female' also laid her eggs, and reared her young. 
Even the Bluebird, who claims an equal and sort of 
hereditary right to the box in the garden, when at- 
tacked by this little impertinent, soon relinquishes 
the contest, the mild placidness of his disposition not 
being a match for the fiery impetuosity of his little 
antagonist. With those of his own species who settle 
and build near him, he has frequent squabbles ; and 
when their respective females are sitting, each strains 
his whole powers of song to excel the other." 

The Great Carolina 
Wren and the Win- 
ter Wren are also, 
both of them, lovely 
and interesting birds. 
The former frequents 
the banks of streams, 
shaded by thickly 
overhanging foliage, 
where it may be dis- 
tinguished by its 
clear, musical note, 
resembling the words 
Sweet William, Sweet 
William, uttered in 
rapid succession, with 

an Occasional inter- Great Carolina Wren. 

lude of " Chirr-up, Chirr-up." It may also be found 
frequenting damp rocky caves, and among old piles 
of rotten timber, where it picks up the larvae of many 
10 




110 



INSESSORES. 



a hurtful insect. The Winter Wren visits us in 
Pennsylvania from the north, just as the House Wren 
has left us for its tropical home. It sometimes passes 
the entire winter in the Middle States, where it may 
be seen hopping about the wood-piles and the fallen 
and decayed trunks of trees, with its tail erect, busy- 
ing itself in singing its musical ditty, and picking 
up the bugs that may be lurking in the crevices of 
the bark. It disappears again early in Spring, and 
passes to the northward in company with the Snow 
Birds. 

The Titmouse, like 
its cousin the Wren, 
is an active, cunning 
little creature, ever on 
the go, hop, skip, and 
jump, from branch to 
branch, head down 
or head up, as is most 
convenient, inces- 
santly prying into the 
private affairs of the 
insect world, often 
laying waste the pros- 
pects of a promising 
family with one stroke 
of its bill; and hunt- 
ing up the vermin 
with such untiring 
industry as fairly to win for him a conspicuous place 
among the farmer's friends. There are two species 




Upper fig. — Crested Titmouse. 
Lower Jig. — Black-capped Titmouse. 



THE TITMOUSE. 



Ill 



with which we are familiar; the Black-capped Tit- 
mouse, or Chick-a-de-de, and the Crested Titmouse. 
They are both constant residents in the Middle States, 
Summer and Winter; but it is during the severity of 
Winter that we are most accustomed to their appear- 
ance. They then assemble in small troops with the 
Snow Birds and the little Spotted Woodpecker, and 
entering the orchard, or the trees around the house, 
they soon make themselves known by their incessant 
chatter, and great activity in chasing each other from 
tree to tree. The notes of the former, when thus 
engaged, are very rapid, and uttered with considera- 
ble energy, bearing some resemblance to the words* 
" See, see, sweet, sevait, chick, chick-a-dc-de." The 
latter has, in addition to his lively twitter, a loud 
whistle, which may be heard for hours together, re- 
peated at intervals as though calling a dog. These 
little birds are apt to build their nests in the de- 
serted hole of a Woodpecker ; but frequently, when 
none such are to be found, they will work with great 
perseverance until they have made one for them- 
selves, even picking their way into the trunk or 
branches of some of our hardest wooded trees. As- 
sociated with them may often be seen the Brown 
Creeper, a plain, modest, unassuming little fellow, 
whose utmost ambition seems to be to fill its stomach 
with the dainty little morsels which it picks out from 
the crevices and holes in the trees with its long sharp 
bill 



112 



INSESSORES, 



CHAPTER VI. 

INSESSORES: SYNDACTYLI. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE NIGHT HAWK — WHIP-POOR-WILL — 
CHUCK-WILLS-WIDOW — BARN AND CHIMNEY SWALLOWS — 
ANECDOTE BY AUDUBON — PURPLE MARTIN — EDIBLE SWAL- 
LOW'S NEST. 

It is extremely interesting, in the study of Birds, 
to notice the connection which exists between tribes 
as well as species. We have spoken of the Hawk 
Owl as possessing peculiarities of form and habits 
belonging to two distinct families; we will now no- 
tice other instances which are no less remarkable in 
this respect. In the Night Hawk, the Whip-poor- 
will, and the Chuck-wills-widow, we observe the soft 
downy plumage and the muffled wings of the Owl, 
as well as its nocturnal habits, combined in many 
prominent points with the general structure of the 
Swallow. Tbe wide mouth, the small sharp bill, 
slightly hooked, the short legs and small feet, the 
long sharp wing and wide expanding tail. With the 
Owls ends the division Raptores, and with the Night 
Hawk, etc., commences the order of Insessores. 

The habits of the three birds above-named are ex- 
tremely interesting. With the Night Hawk we are 
most familiar, as it is quite abundant everywhere, 
from Maine to South Carolina, and westward to the 



THE NIGHT HAWK. 



113 



Rocky Mountains. The name of this bird is in 
singular disagreement with its most marked charac- 
teristics, it being generally seen upon the wing in 
broad day, often when the sun is shining brilliantly, 
and mostly retiring to rest soon after dusk. It may 
frequently be seen flying over the steeples and tall 
chimneys of our most densely populated cities, and 
sometimes builds its nest upon the house-top. Its food 
consists of large insects, which it procures upon the 
wing. When engaged in their pursuit, its motions 
are very graceful and interesting, and as it glides 
around in endless gyrations, flinging itself with the 
most careless ease upon the bosom of every gale, now 
rising, and now, like an arrow, dropping on its prey, 
at intervals uttering a shrill scream, then darting off 
in a wild zigzag course, snapping up every insect that 
comes within its reach, its actions maybe followed by 
the eye with no small degree of pleasure. 

In Louisiana it makes its appearance from the 
south early in the Spring; here it spends several 
weeks of the time occupied in its migrations, and is 
seen sailing over the cotton and sugar plantations, 
picking up here and there an unlucky beetle, or 
gambolling wildly over the prairies, lakes, and rivers 
from morning until evening. 

There is probably no other bird, except the Swal- 
low, which can rival the Night Hawk in the beauty 
and ease of its aerial motions, abounding as they do 
in feats of the most wonderful agility. Sometimes it 
will raise itself several hundred feet in the most 
careless manner, crying louder and louder as it as- 

10* H 



114 



INSESSORES 



cends, then instantly it will glide obliquely downward 
with astonishing rapidity, until within a few feet of 
the ground, when, with the quickness of thought, it 
expands its wings and tail to the utmost, thus cheek- 
ing its downward course, and darting off with won- 
derful swiftness for a short space, mounts again al- 
most perpendicularly. So great is the muscular power 
of its wing, that these evolutions are continued for 
hours almost without rest. 

While the Night Hawk seems to be very generally 
distributed over the territory of the United States 
lying north of Louisiana, the Whip-poor-will and 
Chuck-wills-widow are confined to much narrower 
limits, — the former not extending its migrations 
much north of New York and the southern parts of 
Maine, and the latter seldom being seen north of 
Virginia. 

By some the Whip-poor-will has been confounded 
with the Night Hawk, but the difference in their 
habits marks them as distinct species ; the fact that 
the latter retires to its roosting-place just as the for- 
mer is emerging from its seclusion, may have led 
some careless observers to conclude they were the 
same. The Whip-poor-will is strictly a nocturnal 
bird, never appearing abroad by daylight except when 
forced by circumstances; but no sooner has the sun 
disappeared behind the western hills, and the shades 
of evening have closed around the thicket which 
gives it cover by day, than it bestirs itself, and peeps 
out upon the dim landscape over which the pale moon 
is casting a feeble glare. It is then that its sweet 



THE CnU CK-WILLS-WIDOW. 



115 



and sprightly notes are heard echoing upon the still 
air, " Whip-poor-will ! whip-poor-will ! " repeated in 
rapid succession for some minutes together. Then 
with a few wild sweeps through the air upon its noise- 
less wing, in pursuit of its insect prey, it alights per- 
haps upon the fence or wood-pile, or even upon the 
roof of the house, and again utters its soft hut clear 
cry with great animation. Those who have listened 
to the song of this bird, flowing like a liquid stream 
of melody, can alone judge of the soothing and 
quieting influence which it possesses. 




Chuck-willa-wido\T. 



The habits of the Chuck-wills-widow are very sim- 
ilar to those of the Whip-poor-will, and are equally 
interesting. In the pine forests of South Carolina it 



116 



INSESSORES. 



is abundant, where its familiar and oft-repeated cry 
of " Chuck-wills-widow ! " is kept up during a great 
part of the night. It is impossible to find language 
to convey a just idea of the impression which the 
notes of this bird produce upon the mind. Imagine 
ourselves in the midst of a southern forest; tall pines, 
interspersed with oaks and other forest trees, occupy 
the ground for many miles around, covering it with 
a broad canopy of shade, with here and there a wide 
opening vista, through which the light may penetrate. 
The sultry air is beginning to feel the cooling effects 
of the falling dew, — the sun has long since sunk to 
his rest, — the tree-tops wave gently in the twilight 
gale, — the feathered songsters that have tenanted the 
air during the long day have retired to their nests, — 
the bee hums no more with her busy wing, and all 
Nature is seemingly gathered into a sweet repose, 
over which the quiet moon reigns with a serene ma- 
jesty. This lull, however, is but temporary, an in- 
terregnum between the dominion of day and the em- 
pire of night ; soon the screams of the wild-cat are 
heard in the distance, as she sallies forth in quest of 
her evening meal; the hooting of some monstrous 
owl, that sails like a dim spectre overhead, salutes 
the ear ; frogs, lizards, and other reptiles are hopping, 
skipping, and jumping about our feet; the whole air 
becomes tenanted with a numerous insect life ; and 
a mingled chorus of hum, buzz, and chirp, every- 
where prevails. We pause at one of the beautifully 
expanded vistas, through which the full-orbed moon 
gently darts her silvery beams, and gaze in silent 



THE SWALLOWS. 117 

admiration upon the beauty of the scene; suddenly 
a swift-winged, noiseless phantom sails across oui 
track, and alights upon a tree near by; it is then 
that we will listen to one of the most singular note3 
that is heard by night. Even the soft, full-toned, 
and richly varied song of the Mocking Bird, with 
which it is often blended, cannot drown the sweetly 
cadenced voice of this plain and unobtrusive bird, as 
he sits and "Chucks" and " Chuck-wills- widow " 
away, during the live-long night. 

The unmeaning name of Goat-sucker has been ap- 
plied to various members of this family of birds, the 
ignorant inhabitants of the countries where they are 
found supposing that they sucked the milk from 
their flocks, which is not only improbable, but alto- 
gether absurd. There are many species found in 
various parts of the world, some of them being quite 
large, and some not less noisy. Upon these last has 
been bestowed the appropriate name of Night Jars. 

Of the myriads of winged visitors which annually 
flock to our shores from the south, there is perhaps 
no more interesting and familiar species than the 
Swallows. With what pleasant and happy recollec- 
tions is their arrival associated ! Spring, with all its 
attendant beauty, follows hard in the track of these 
little aerial voyagers ; and the bright flowers whose 
half-expanded buds have lain almost concealed be- 
neath the lingering snows, only await the gentle fan- 
ning of their wings to open into bloom. 

Every farmer's child, and almost every school-boy 
in town or country, is at home among the Swallows ; 



118 



INSESSORES. 



they are associated with his earliest recollections ; he 
may forget the dull pages that months of painful 
study have scarcely fixed upon his memory ; but the 
appearance of the Barn Swallow, his easy, skimming, 
graceful flight, as he darts over the meadow, the lake, 
or the stream, his sprightly twittering note, and his 
nest under the barn roof, are things which he cannot 
forget. 

The Barn and Chimney Swallows are by some 
ignorant persons thought to be the same bird j but a 

wide difference exists 
between them, both 
as to their appear- 
ance and habits. The 
plumage of the for- 
mer is beautifully va- 
ried with a brilliant 
and glossy blue-black 
on the upper parts, 
and a rich fawn or 
drab color below; the 
tail being deeply 
forked, with the two 
outer feathers nearly double the length of the others ; 
while the latter is wholly of a plain mouse or slate 
color, with the tail nearly even, and each feather 
ending in a sharp point.* 

* The differences between the Chimney and Barn Swal- 
»ows are greater and more important than our author him- 
self appears to have been aware of. The Chimney Bird is 
a Swift, and belongs to a family of Syndactyli near the 




Barn Swallow. 



THE CniMNET SWALLOW. 119 

The Chimney Swallows, when performing r ,heir 
migrations, often assemble to the number of several 
thousands, and take possession of the trunk of some 
venerable tree which has been hollowed out either 
by fire or by natural decay. Here they will continue 
to roost for many nights in succession before dis- 
persing to the various parts of the country where 
they are accustomed to breed. Audubon thus de- 
scribes a rendezvous of this kind which was tenanted 
by about 8000 or 9000 Swallows at one time : 

" Immediately after my arrival at Louisville in the 
State of Kentucky, I became acquainted with the 
late hospitable and amiable Major William Croghan 
and his family. While talking one day about birds, 
he asked me if I had seen the trees in which the 
Swallows were supposed to spend the winter, but 
which they only entered, he said, for the purpose of 
roosting. Answering in the affirmative, I was in- 
formed that on my way back to town, there was a 
tree remarkable on account of the immense numbers 
that resorted to it, and the place in which it stood 
was described to me. I found it to be a sycamore, 
nearly destitute of branches, sixty or seventy feet 
high, between seven and eight feet in diameter at 
the base, and about five for the distance of forty feet 
up, where the stump of a broken hollowed branch, 
about two feet in diameter, made out from the main 

Night Hawks. The true place of the Swallows is not in the 
present Chapter, but near the Tanagers, in Chapter IV. They 
belong in the singing division (Oscines) of the order Pas- 
seres. E. D C. 



120 



INSESSORES. 



stem. This was the place at which the Swallows en- 
tered. On closely examining the tree, I found it 
hard, but hollow to near the roots. It was now about 
four o'clock in the afternoon, in the month of July. 
Swallows were flying over Jeffersonville, Louisville, 
and the woods around, but there were none near the 
tree. I proceeded home, and shortly after returned 
on foot. The sun was going down behind the Silver 
Hills; the evening was beautiful; thousands of 
Swallows were flying closely above me ; and three or 
four at a time were pitching into the hole, like bees 
hurrying into their hive. I remained, my head lean- 
ing on the tree, listening to the roaring noise made 
within by the birds as they settled and arranged 
themselves, until it was quite dark, when I left the 
place, although I was convinced that many more had 
to enter. I did not pretend to count them, for the 
number was too great, and the birds rushed to the 
entrance so thick as to baffle the attempt. 

" Next morning I was early enough to reach the 
place long before the least appearance of daylight, 
and placed my head against the tree. All was silent 
within. I remained in that posture probably twenty 
minutes, when suddenly I thought the great tree was 
giving way, and coming down upon me. Instinc- 
tively I sprung from it; but when I looked up to it 
again, what was my astonishment to see it standing 
as firm as ever. The Swallows were now pouring out 
in a black, continuous stream. I ran back to my post, 
and listened in amazement to the noise within, which 
T could compare to nothing else than the sound of a 



THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 121 

large wheel revolving under a powerful stream. It 
was yet dusky, so that 1 could hardly see the hour 
on my watch ; but I estimated the time which they 
took in getting out at more than thirty minutes. 
After their departure, no noise was heard within, 
and they dispersed in every direction with the quick- 
ness of thought."* 

* The Swallows are undoubtedly sociable creatures, 
seeming disposed at least to be neighborly, and often, when 
unmolested, manifesting an inclination to live upon terms 
of intimacy with us which are sometimes inconveniently 
familiar. Scarcely a farm-house exists but whose chimneys 
are appropriated to the summer occupancy of one or more 
families of Swifts. 

Some years ago, at a nobleman's house in Scotland, a 
pair of Swallows built their nest upon the top bar of a 
clothes-screen which was hung against the wall in the por- 
ter's lodge ; the young were hatched and flew away. Upon 
the first appearance of the Swallows the following year, a 
male bird again entered the apartment and surveyed the 
premises. Having satisfied himself, he went off, but soon 
returned with a companion, which at first appeared very 
shy and timid, but in a short time acquired as much assur- 
ance as ite mate. They both forthwith set about building 
a new nest on a small ledge which had been prepared for 
them as near as possible to the place where that on the 
clothes-screen had been built, and which had been de- 
stroyed ; as, while it remained, the screen was of course 
useless to the family. 

In this nest three broods were reared as before, notwith- 
standing the almost constant presence of the porter and his 
wife, who lived and slept in the room. In the Spring of the 
third year, the male again made his appearance with an- 
other mate, evidently much younger than her predecessor. 

11 



122 



INSESSORE S. 



There are some species of Swallows which are re- 
markable for the beauty of their plumage, as well as 
for the gracefulness of their flight. The Violet Green 
Swallow and the White-bellied Swallow, — the former 
an inhabitant of the Rocky Mountains, and the latter 
quite an abundant species in the Eastern and Middle 
States, — are both entitled to a high rank among our 
gay-plumaged birds. We have also the Purple Mar- 
tin, a very familiar and welcome bird in the Spring. 
When seen at a distance, it appears to be wholly 
black, but upon closer inspection it will be found to 
glisten all over. with the most pleasing metallic hues, 
changing from blue to green, and from violet to 
golden purple, according to the position in which it 
is seen. 

The Swallows possess undoubtedly greater powers 
of wing than any other birds. The space passed over 
in a few minutes by one of these little fairies is as- 
tonishing. Take for instance the Barn Swallow, and 
endeavor to follow him with the eye through all his 
curves and zigzag lines, as he darts about over some 
new-mown field; so rapid are his movements, that 
the keenest and quickest vision is often baffled in the 
attempt to retain its hold upon him, — and yet he flits 
on untiringly, mounting and falling, skimming and 
sailing, until the eye tires of his endless circuit. 

The old nest on the ledge was examined, but the young 
partner possibly desiring a new home, the clothes-screen, 
which was hanging in the same position it had occupied the 
first year, was selected for the nest, and soon the process 
of hatching and rearing the first brood was in progress. 



THE NEST OP THE SWALLOW. 123 

Wilson, upon whose accuracy of observation we can 
safely rely, considers one mile in a minute as a true 
estimate of the ordinary speed of this bird ; and upon 
this he bases a calculation to show over what extent 
of ground in a straight line our little friend would 
glide during his short life, allowing ten hours of each 
day as the time occupied by the bird in performing 
his evolutions. According to this estimate, he will, 
during the ten years of his existence, have passed 
over the incredible space of 2,190,000 miles, or 87 
times the circumference of the globe. 

The form of the nest built by the different species 
of Swallow varies much. We are all familiar with 
the frail tenement of sticks in which the Chimney 
Bird deposits her snow-white eggs, and the neat and 
comfortable nest of the Barn Swallow, which it 
perches upon a projecting rafter near the peak of the 
barn. But the nest of the Cliff Swallow is of re- 
markable construction, being shaped like a gourd 
with a neck, and is composed of little pellets of mud, 
deposited by the bird one after another, until the 
required shape and size are attained. These nests 
are generally attached to the sides of a rock or pro- 
jecting cliff, or to the walls of a building, sometimes 
as many as hundreds together. Their thus congre- 
gating and living in flocks or families has given 
them in some localities the name of Republican 
Swallows. 

In the islands of Java and Ceylon, and many 
others adjacent, is found a species called the Edible 



124 



INSESSORES 



Swallow, from the fact that their nests form an arti- 
cle of food very highly prized by the Chinese epi- 
cures. These nests are regarded as a great delicacy, 
and are so much in esteem that the finest of them, 
it is said, will bring their weight in silver. They 
form a very important article of trade, as about 
thirty thousand tons of Chinese shipping are em- 
ployed in it. The income arising from this singular 
traffic is appropriated by the government as one of 
its revenues. 

The following interesting account of the habits of 
these birds, and the method of obtaining the nests, 
is from Stanley's " Familiar History of Birds." 
"The two bird-mountains [in the island of Java] 
are insulated rocks, hollow within and pierced with 
a great number of openings. Many of these open- 
ings are so wide, that a person can enter them with 
ease; others are attended with more difficulty, and 
some are too small to admit of intrusion ) in these, 
therefore, the poor little birds are alone safe from 
robbery. To the walls of these caverns the birds 
affix their small nests in regular rows, and so close 
that for the most part they adhere together. They 
construct them at different heights, from fifty to sixty 
feet, sometimes higher, sometimes lower, according 
as they find room ; and no hole or convenient place, 
if dry and clean, is left unoccupied ; but if the walls 
be in the feast wet or moist, they immediately desert 
them. At daybreak these birds fly abroad from their 
holes, with a loud fluttering noise, and in the dry 



THE EDIBLE SWALLOW. 125 

Beason rise so high into the atmosphere in a moment, 
as they have to seek their food in distant parts, that 
they are soon out of sight. In the rainy season, on 
the other hand, they never remove to a great distance 
from their breeding-places. 

" About four in the afternoon they again return, 
and confine themselves so closely to their holes, that 
none of them are seen any more flying, either out or 
in, but those which are hatching. They feed on all 
sorts of insects which hover over stagnant waters, 
and these they easily catch, as they can extend their 
bills to a great width. They prepare their nests from 
the strongest remains of the food which they use, 
and not of the scum of the sea, or of sea plants, as 
some persons have supposed. They" employ two 
months in preparing their nests ; they then lay their 
eggs, on which they sit for fifteen or sixteen days. 
As soon as the young are fledged, people begin to 
collect their nests, which is done regularly every four 
months ; and this forms the harvest of the proprie- 
tors of these rocks. 

" The business of taking them down from the 
rocky ledges on which they are placed, is performed 
by men who have been accustomed from their youth 
to climb among these dangerous places. They con- 
struct ladders of reeds and bamboos, by which they 
are enabled to ascend to the holes j but if the cav- 
erns are too deep they employ ship-ropes. When 
they have got to the bottom of a cavern, they place 
bamboos, with notches in them, against the wall, if 
11* 



126 INSESSORES. 

these be sufficiently long to reach the nests, but if 
not they stand on the ladders, and pull the nests 
down with poles of bamboo made for that purpose. 
This employment, which is very dangerous, sacrifices 
the lives of many men, and particularly of thieves, 
while attempting to rob the caverns at improper 
seasons." 



THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 127 



CHAPTER VII. 

INSESSORES: SYNDACTYLI AND ZYGODAOTYLI. 

BELTED KINGFISHER — CALIFORNIA AND RED-HEADKD 'WOOD- 
PECKERS — A NARRATIVE OF THE CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER, 
BY " KELLEY" IVORY-BILLED, GOLDEN-WING, YELLOW- 
BELLIED, AND DOWNY WOODPECKERS — CUCKOO — PARROTS 
— ANECDOTE OF A PARROT, FROM GOSSE's "NATURAL HIS- 
TORY OF BIRDS." 

By the banks of some quiet, running stream, or 
smooth and glassy mill-pond, where the Willow, Ha- 
zel and other shrubs dip their branches into the 
sleeping waters, may often be heard a shrill, chatter- 
ing note, much resembling the sound of the watch- 
man's rattle, which falls with pleasing effect upon 
the ear, as it gently dies away in the distance. This 
is the note of the Belted Kingfisher, which our pres- 
ence has just started from his perch near by. He 
flies some distance up or down the stream, where he 
selects a fresh stand-point, from which he intently 
eyes the motions of the finny tribes below, until one 
suited to his taste comes within the range of his 
deadly aim, when with a sudden winding sweep he 
darts below the surface, and seizing it with his pow- 
erful bill, bears it away to his perch, and immediately 
swallows it whole. 

This singular and not inelegant bird is a lone rep- 



128 



INSESSORES 



resentative of its tribe in the United States; but 
being abundant wherever fresh water and good fish- 
ing are to be found, it has become quite familiar, 
occupying as prominent a place in our Natural His- 
tory, as the pretty little European species does in the 
rural landscapes of Great Britain. The form and 




Belted Kingfisher. 

appearance of the Kingfisher are peculiar. A long, 
sharp, and powerful bill ; a large head, surmounted 
by a crest that adds fierceness to its look ; a thick 
neck and robust body, but rather small in proportion; 
wings ample ; legs very short, and feet small. The 
upper parts of the plumage are bluish lead color, 
lower parts mostly white; in the male a band of black 
crosses the upper part of the breast ; in the female 
the blue tint is not so perceptible, and the band 
across the breast is reddish brown, the belly being 
girted with a broad belt of the same color. 

Its favorite places of resort are near inland streams, 



THE WOODPECKERS. 131 

lakes, and mill-ponds, especially where a clayey or 
gravelly bank rises to some height above the water's 
edge ; here the male and female assist each other in 
digging out a hole, running horizontally to the depth 
of four or five feet, and about one or two feet below 
the surface of the ground. This hole, which is just 
large enough to admit the body of the bird, is widened 
toward the extremity into an oven-shaped apartment, 
of sufficient size to allow of the birds turning freely 
about; here the nest, which is composed of a few 
sticks and feathers, is placed. The female mostly 
lays six pure white eggs, which she hatches in about 
sixteen days, the male taking his turn with his mate 
in the process of incubation. To this hole the same 
pair will sometimes resort for many successive years. 
We will now endeavor briefly to describe some of 
the most prominent and familiar members of the in- 
teresting, numerous, and widely spread family of the 
Woodpeckers. With them commences the fourth 
order, Scansores or Zygodactyli, the Climbers. If 
we examine closely, we will find that the peculiarities 
of conformation of this order are very marked, and 
display in a wonderful degree the wisdom of the Crea- 
tor in supplying His creatures with means precisely 
adapted to their wants. The food of the Woodpecker 
consists principally of insects and their eggs, which 
are deposited beneath the bark of decayed trees. In 
order to obtain these, it is gifted with a large, heavy 
looking, hammer-shaped head, and rather a long, 
sharp-pointed, and powerful bill, with which it strips 
away the bark by repeated blows, until it has uncov- 



132 INSESSORES. 

ered thet>DJect of its search. Sometimes the insects 
have hollowed out for themselves a cavity beneath 
the bark, extending for some distance into the wood 
of the tree. These it dislodges by means of its 
long tongue, which is barbed at the extremity, and 
capable of being protruded to a great distance beyond 
the point of the beak. The tongue is supported by 
a series of small bones and cartilages, which find 
their origin upon the forehead on each side of the 
base of the bill. At first they lie pretty close to- 
gether, but soon separate gradually, each passing 
round the back part of the head, and entering the 
mouth immediately below the ear, come together at 
a point near the base of the bill. That part of the 
tongue which lies between this point and the end of 
the bill, is of a fleshy, worm-like appearance, and 
ends in a slender, bony point, armed on either side 
with sharp prickles, directed backward, but not capa- 
ble of being moved forward. This barbed point is 
particularly serviceable in drawing out from their 
close concealment the heavy larvse, which sometimes 
measure two or three inches in length. 

The protrusion of the tongue is produced by the 
action of a pair of muscles, secured to the lower jaw 
near the base of the lower mandible, and running 
backward nearly the entire length of the bony pro- 
cess of the tongue. The position of the different 
parts, and the singular structure of this important 
member, will be better understood by reference to 
the figure on the next page. With the bill it also 
di'^s out of the solid wood a hole in which to raise 



THE WOODPECKERS. 13S 




its young ; these holes vary in depth, according to 
circumstances, from six inches to nearly three feet. 
In its usually upright position against the body of 
the tree, it must necessarily lie pretty close in order 
to work to advantage ; hence the legs are short and 
muscular, and the toes, which are arranged two before 
and two behind, are well calculated to take a firm 
hold upon the bark and retain it for a long time. 
This upright position of the body is also more stead- 
ily maintained by the assistance of the tail, which is 
somewhat wedge-shaped, the more central feathers 
being more rigid, and having the shafts very thick, 
and stout, and sharp pointed, which, when placed 
against the trunk of the tree, serve as a support. The 
flight of the Woodpeckers is also singular, consisting 
of a frequent repetition of a few rapid and powerful 
strokes of the wings, which produce an undulating 
motion through the air, the body rising and falling 
with the alternate opening and closing of the wings. 
They are sprightly and active in their motions, alight- 
ing upon a tree and moving around the whole circum- 
ference, backward and forward, or ascending spirally 
12 



134 



INSESSORES, 



by a series of short leaps, occasionally stopping to 
give a few raps, to discover the lurking-places of in- 
sects beneath the bark ; then on he goes, here and 
there picking up a dainty morsel, until being satis- 
fied that he has done with the tree, he passes to 
another. 

The United States are particularly favored in pos- 
sessing a large number of species of this beautiful 

tribe. The Califor- 
nia Woodpecker is 
justly celebrated for 
the richness of its 
plumage, as well as 
for some of its sin- 
gular habits. We 
do not know of any 
other species that 
is so provident as 
to lay up stores for 
the winter. This 
propensity has been 
attributed to several 
others, but in the 
bird before us we 
Woodpeckers. h ave positive evi- 

dence to that effect from those who have witnessed 
its operations. The following interesting narrative, 
taken from Kelley's " Excursion to California," will 
throw some light upon the subject: 

" In stripping off the bark of this tree, I observed 
it to be perforated with holes, larger than those which 




THE CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER. 135 

a musket ball would make, shaped with the most ac- 
curate precision, as if bored under the guidance of a 
rule and compass, and many of them filled most 
neatly with acorns. Earlier in the season I had re- 
marked such holes in most of all the soft timber, but 
imagining that they were caused by wood insects, I 
did not stop to examine or inquire ; but now finding 
them studded with acorns, firmly fixed in, which I 
knew could not have been driven there by the wind, 
I sought for an explanation, which was practically 

given me by Captain S 's pointing out a flock of 

Woodpeckers, busily and noisily employed in the 
provident task of securing the winter's provision. 
For it appears that this sagacious bird is not all the 
time thriftlessly engaged in Happing the hollow 
beech tree' for the mere idle purpose of empty sound, 
but spends its summer season in picking these holes, 
in which it lays its store of food for the winter, where 
the elements can neither affect nor place it beyond 
their reach ) and it is regarded as a sure omen that 
the snowy period is approaching, when these birds 
commence stowing away their acorns, which other- 
wise might be covered by its fall. I have frequently 
paused from my chopping, to watch them in the 
neighborhood, with the acorns in their bills, half 
clawing, half flying around the tree, and have ad- 
mired the adroitness with which they tried it at dif- 
ferent holes until they found one of its exact calibre, 
when, inserting the pointed end, they tapped it home 
most artistically with the beak, and flew down for 
another. 



136 



INSESSORES. 



"But the natural instinct of this bird is even more 
remarkable in the choice of the nuts, which are in- 
variably found to be sound, whereas it is an utter 
impossibility, in selecting them for roasting, to pick 
up a batch that will not have a large portion of them 
unfit for use, the most smooth and polished frequently 
containing a large grub generated within. Even the 
wily Digger Indian, with all his craft and experience, 
is unable to arrive at anything like an unerring selec- 
tion, while in a large bagful that we took from the 
bark of our log, there was not one containing the 
slightest germ of decay." 

This Woodpecker appears to be very abundant, 
occupying a corresponding position with the well- 
known Red-headed species so common to the east- 
ward. They also somewhat resemble each other in 
their plumage, the preponderating colors in both be- 
ing black, white, and crimson. 

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is the largest species 
found within our territory, measuring twenty-one 
inches in length. It is an inhabitant of the Southern 
and Western States, and notwithstanding its some- 
what awkward look, is certainly a noble and majestic 
bird. Spurning the low occupation of seeking Lis 
food among stunted trees and bushes, or upon pros- 
trate logs and fence-rails, he leaves this humble game 
to the smaller fry of his tribe, and spreads his ample 
wings among the tall cypress and pines which cover 
vast areas of swampy ground in the Southern States. 
Here, amidst the security of these almost inaccessi- 
ble forests, he regales himself upon the myriads of 






THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 137 

insects which ever infest those noble trees. Wilson 
says that, " Wherever he frequents, he leaves numer- 
ous monuments of his industry behind him. We 
there see enormous pine trees, with cart-loads of bark 
lying around their roots, and chips of the trunk it- 
self, in such quantities as to suggest the idea that 
half a dozen axe-men had been at work there for the 
whole morning." 

The same author relates the following amusing ac- 
count of one of these birds which he had captured 
in a wounded condition, and carried with him for 
some distance. " This bird was only wounded slightly 
in the wing, and on being caught, uttered a loudly 
reiterated and most piteous note, exactly resembling 
the violent crying of a young child, which terrified 
my horse so, as nearly to have cost me my life. It 
was distressing to hear it. I carried it with me in 
the chair, under cover, to Wilmington, N. C. In 
passing through the streets, its affecting cries sur- 
prised every one within hearing, particularly the 
females, who hurried to the doors and windows with 
looks of alarm and anxiety. I drove on, and on ar- 
riving at the piazza of the hotel where I intended to 
put up, the landlord came forward, and a number of 
other persons who happened to be there, all equally 
alarmed at what they heard. This was greatly in- 
creased by my asking whether he could furnish me 
with accommodations for myself and my baby. The 
man looked blank and foolish, while the others stared 
with still greater astonishment. After diverting 
myself for a minute or two at their expense, I drew 
12* 



138 INSESSORES. 

nry Woodpecker from under the cover, and a general 
laugh took place." 

The head of this bird is ornamented with a crest 
of long flowing plumes, which, upon the forehead, 
are jetty black, while those of the hinder part are a 
brilliant crimson ; the remainder of the plumage is 
mostly black, with slight reflections of blue. A white 
stripe, commencing at the ear, runs down each side 
of the neck, and half way down the back. The sec- 
ondary quills in the wings, as well as a part of the 
primaries, are also white. 

Some of the most familiar species to the north and 
eastward are the Red-headed Woodpecker, Golden- 
winged Woodpecker, or Flicker, Yellow-bellied Wood- 
pecker, and the Downy Woodpecker, or Sap-sucker. 
Of these, the Red-headed Woodpecker may be con- 
sidered as the most richly colored, displaying in its 
plumage one of the finest contrasts that could well 
be formed. The whole head and upper part of the 
neck are of a deep crimson, set off below by pure 
white, and above by a glossy steel blue. The second- 
ary quills in the wings, and a broad band across the 
rump, are also white. The beauty of this bird ren- 
ders him an attractive mark for the sportsman, for 
which reason the species appears to be on the de- 
crease, and we fear that the day is not far distant 
when it will be numbered among our scarce birds. 

Although the Red-heads undoubtedly do great 
service to the farmer in ridding his orchard and 
forest trees of a great number of insects, yet we can- 
not conceal the fact that their indulging in a fond- 



THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 139 

ness for fruit and green corn has given them a repu- 
tation anything but enviable. The finest and ripest 
of the fruit are generally selected to gratify their 
desires ; and so keen is their relish for the early pro- 
ductions of the orchard, that a well-loaded cherry- 
tree will sometimes be entirely stripped of its cher- 
ries before the owner has fairly tasted them. The 
pear and the apple-tree are equally the objects of 
their regard ; and should one be molested during his 
depredations upon these, he will coolly thrust his bill 
into as fine an apple or pear as he can, and bear it 
away in his flight to the woods. Much of the mis- 
chief which is done to the young corn, which is at- 
tributed to the Blackbirds, is undoubtedly the work 
of this Woodpecker, as he will strip off the husk 
from the ear almost in a twinkling, and regale himself 
art leisure with its juicy contents. These depreda- 
tions are, however, more the exception than the rule ; 
his natural food is insects, and the amount of these 
which he annually destroys, will more than compen- 
sate for the fruit and corn with which he varies his 
diet. "We would, therefore, recommend him to the 
protection of every one. He is a bright, sprightly, 
and attractive companion during our country strolls, 
and cannot fail to afford us pleasure wherever we 
meet him. 

The Golden-winged Woodpecker, or Flicker, as 
he is commonly called, although not so conspicuous 
for his beauty as the preceding, is nevertheless a 
handsome and showy bird. The upper parts of the 
plumage are dull bluish-grey upon the head, shading 



140 



INSESSORES. 



into drab on the back, where it is crossed by bars of 
black, caused by each feather having a crescent- 
shaped mark of that 



color near its extrem- 
ity; the rump and 
upper tail coverts are 
nearly white, a band 
of bright vermilion 
runs from ear to ear 
around the hinder 
part of the head. 
The throat and upper 
part of the neck are 



mis reddish - fawn, ex- 



tending to a broad 
band of black which 
crosses the breast; 
below this it is dull 

Golden-winged Woodpecker. fawn, shading gra- 

dually into white on the under tail coverts, and 
variously marked with spots and bars of black. But 
the chief beauty of the bird consists in the color of 
the under surface of the wings and tail, which is a 
rich golden-yellow. In consequence of this being 
mostly concealed, his general appearance is rather 
plain and homely. 

By some, the Woodpeckers have been regarded as 
dull, sleepy birds, possessed of but little animation 
or activity ; but let such go to the woods and watch 
the motions of the Flicker as he gambols through 
the leafy bowers ; see how he revels in the delight 




THE GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER. 141 

of Spring, ever on the go, uttering at frequent inter- 
vals his loud, clear, and not unpleasant cry. See with 
what assiduous devotion he and his mate assist each 
other in picking a hole into the solid heart of some 
sturdy oak ; listen to the strokes of their bills ; see 
the chips how they fly, and then call them sleepy 
birds. And when the cares of a brood are devolving 
upon them, they ply their busy bills with renewed 
activity, searching every nook and cranny that comes 
in their way for the daintiest worms, which they bear 
away to their young. See one of these birds when 
pursued by a Hawk; just as he is almost within the 
talons of his rapacious foe, he suddenly dives into a 
hole near by, or in the absence of this, he alights 
upon a tree and plays bo-peep with his enemy around 
its trunk. It is truly laughable to see how he dodges 
his pursuer, and you would wonder at the Hawk for 
wasting his time over such nimble game. 

Westward of the Rocky Mountains there is a 
Woodpecker found almost precisely similar to the 
above, except that the under surface of the wings 
and tail are orange-red, the shafts of each feather 
being bright vermilion. 

We must here reluctantly close our observations 
on this interesting group, leaving it to our readers to 
pursue the study, as inclination leads them, among 
the wild woods, where they will find some of the spe- 
cies abundant at all seasons of the year. 

The Cuckoo, although not strictly a climbing bird, 
belongs to the same order as the Woodpeckers, the 
arrangement of the toes and other characteristics 



142 INSESSORES. 

assigning to it that position. We have several spe- 
cies in the United States, the most abundant being 
the Yellow- biltad Cuckoo. This graceful and familiar 
bird, being of somewhat a quiet and retiring dispo- 
sition, frequents the most secluded and thickest part 
of the woods, where its low and simple notes of 
" Cowe, cowe, coo, coo, coo/' may be heard, uttered 
at first slowly, but gradually increasing in rapidity 
until the syllables run together. When it becomes 
more clamorous than usual, it is said to be a sign of 
approaching rain, which in some places has conferred 




Cuckoo. 

upon it the title of Rain Crow. The Cuckoos of 
America, unlike their European relative, invariably 
build their own nests and rear their own young, and 
do not seem to be lacking in the least degree in a 
strong affection for their progeny. The species now 
before us has been accused of sucking the eggs of 



THE PARROTS. 143 

other birds, which we regret to say does not appear 
to be an unjust charge; in other respects he certainly 
bears a good character as a quiet and harmless bird, 
rendering good service to the farmer by the daily 
destruction of a great amount of noxious vermin. 
He often visits the orchard and garden, where he 
sometimes builds his nest. Being strictly a summer 
bird, he leaves the Northern and Middle States early 
in the Autumn, for a warmer climate, many passing 
the Winter in Florida. 

The next and last division of the Scansores which 
we have to notice is the Parrots, well known for their 
peculiar form, their singular habits, and the brilliant 
coloring of their plumage. Although many species 
of this group are found in various parts of the globe, 
yet the Equatorial Regions must be considered as the 
favorite resort for by far the greatest number. Here, 
among the wild and majestic forests of towering palms, 
or in the deep and tangled thickets of mimosa, where 
the face of Nature is clothed in perennial verdure, 
these gay-feathered birds make the air resound with 
their loud discordant cries. Each country seems to 
be possessed of varieties or subdivisions of the group 
somewhat peculiar to itself. Thus, from the interior 
of South America we have the splendid Macaws, 
which are generally large birds, over three feet in 
length, of which the tail makes up twenty- four inches, 
and decked in the most glaring hues of scarlet, green, 
blue, and yellow. From India and the adjacent isl- 
ands come the superb Lories, arrayed in their coats 
of fiery red ; while from Australia we welcome the 



-_J 



144 



INSESSORES. 



snow-white or roseate plumage of the Cockatoos. It 
is almost impossible for us to form any adequate con- 
ception of the extreme gracefulness and beauty of 
these birds when enjoying the freedom of their na- 
tive forests ; and although their colors may be con- 
sidered by many as too gaudy, and presenting too 
many abrupt and striking contrasts to yield to the 
eye that degree of pleasure which a softer blending 
is apt to convey, yet we think that few can gaze upon 
the multiplicity of their forms, and the richness and 
diversity of their gorgeous tints, without regarding 
them as one of the most wonderful and beautiful 
families of the whole feathered race. 

One of the most singular faculties of the Parrots, 
— which, however, does not belong to the whole 
tribe, — is that of imitating the human voice, and 
learning by rote, words and sentences, which they 
will sometimes repeat upon very appropriate occa- 
sions, giving the impression that they are really 
aware of their meaning. This power is possessed 
principally by the short, even-tailed, and less gor- 
geously colored species. 

The following interesting account of a remarkable 
bird, probably the Grey African Parrot,which possesses 
the greatest imitative powers, is from Gosse's "Natu- 
ral History of Birds." It is an extract from a letter 
to a gentleman from the sister of its owner : 

"As you wished me to write down whatever I could 
recollect about my sister's wonderful Parrot, I pro- 
ceed to do sO, only premising that I will tell you no- 
thing but what I can vouch for having myself heard. 



THE PARROTS. 145 

Her laugh is quite extraordinary, and it is impossi- 
ble to help joining in it oneself, more especially when 
in the midst of it she cries out, ' Do n't make me 
laugh so. I shall die, I shall die ; ' and then con- 
tinues laughing more violently than before. Her 
crying and sobbing are curious ; and if you say, 
1 Poor Poll ! what is the matter?' she says, ' So bad 1 
so bad ! got a bad cold V and after crying for some 
time will gradually cease, and making a noise like 
drawing a long breath, say, ' Better now ! ' and begin 
to laugh. 

u The first time I ever heard her speak, was one 
day when I was talking to the maid at the bottom 
of the stairs, and heard what I then considered to 
be a child call out, ' Payne ! (the maid's name) I am 
not well! I'm not well!' and on my saying, 'What 
is the matter with that child?' she replied, ( It is 
only the Parrot; she always does so when I leave 
her alone, to make me come back;' and so it proved; 
for on her going into the room the Parrot stopped, 
and then began laughing, quite in a jeering way. 

" It is singular enough, that whenever she is affronted 
in any way, she begins to cry, and when pleased, to 
laugh. If any one happens to cough or sneeze, she 
says, ' What a bad cold I' One day when the chil- 
dren were playing with her, the maid came into the 
room, and on repeating to her several things which 
the Parrot had said, Poll looked up, and said quite 
plainly, * No I did n't.' Sometimes, when she is in- 
clined to be mischievous, the maid threatens to beat 
her, and she says, ( No you won't/ She calls the 
13 K 



146 INSESSORES. 

cat very plainly, saying, l Puss ! puss ! ' and then 
answers, i Mew; y but the most amusing part is, that 
whenever I want to make her call it. and to that pur- 
pose say, ' Puss ! Puss ! ' myself, she always answers 
'Mew,' till I begin mewing, and then she begins call- 
ing puss as quick as possible. She imitates every 
kind of noise, and barks so naturally, that I have 
known her to set all the dogs on the parade at Hamp- 
ton Court barking ; and the consternation I have seen 
her cause in a party of cocks and hens, by her crow- 
ing and clucking, has been the most ludicrous thing 
possible. She sings just like a child, and I have 
more than once thought it was a human being ; and 
it was ridiculous to hear her make what one should 
call a false note, and then say, ' Oh, la ! " and burst 
out laughing at herself, beginning again in quite an- 
other key. She is very fond of singing, * Buy a 
Broom/ which she says quite plainly; but in the 
same spirit as in calling the cat, if we say, with a 
view to make her repeat it, i Buy a Broom/ she al- 
ways says, l Buy a Brush, and then laughs, as a child 
might do when mischievous. She often performs a 
kind of exercise which I do not know how to de- 
scribe, except by saying it is like the lance exercise. 
She puts her claw behind her, first on one side and 
then on the other, then in front, and round over her 
head, and whilst doing so, keeps saying, * Come on ! 
Come on ! ' and, when finished, says, ' Bravo ! beau- 
tiful ! ' and draws herself up. Before I was as well 
acquainted with her as I am now, she would stare in 
my face for some time, and then say, ' How d'ye do, 



THE CAROLINA PARROT. 147 

ma'am?' this she invariably does to strangers. One 
day I went into the room where she was, and said, to 
try her, ' Poll, where is Payne gone?' and, to my 
astonishment, and almost dismay, she said, ' Down 
stairs/ I cannot at this moment recollect anything 
more that I can vouch for myself, and I do not choose 
to trust to what I am told ; but, from what I have 
myself seen and heard,, she has almost made me a 
believer in transmigration.'' 

The only member of this large family found in the 
United States is the Carolina Parrot, or Parrakeet ; 
which, although not so brilliantly attired as some of 
the species, is nevertheless a very beautiful bird, 
the predominating color of the plumage being a 
light green, tinged with purple on the wings. The 
head and upper part of the neck are rich yellow, 
with a patch of orange-red upon the forehead. Many 
years ago, before the Southern and Western States 
became thickly settled, this Parrot was very abun- 
dant in those parts, but we believe that it is now 
seldom found much to the eastward of the Mississippi 
river. It is represented as an active, sprightly bird, 
and very graceful in its motions upon the wing. In 
the Autumn, when the Cockle Bur (a very noxious 
weed) has ripened its seed, they assemble in vast 
flocks, and, resorting to the fields where it grows, 
they alight upon the plants, and plucking the burs 
from the stem with their bills, they take them in one 
claw, while with the bill they open it and take out 
the fruit. In this way, a single flock will, in a few 
lays, entirely rid a large field of the ripened seed ; 



148 



IN SESSORES 



the root of the plant, however, being perennial, they 
do not exterminate it. 

Audubon says they do not confine themselves to 
the Cockle Bur exclusively, but attack all kinds of 
fruit indiscriminately, on which account they are al- 
ways unwelcome visitors to the planter. They are 
particularly destructive to the grain-stacks, upon 
which they alight in numbers sufficient almost to 
cover it, pulling out the straws and scattering it 
about, thus wasting as much as they eat. While thus 
occupied, the farmer has a good opportunity of taking 
vengeance upon them for their unwarrantable intru- 
sion. When once fired upon, all the survivors will 
rise, shriek, fly around a few minutes, and then alight 
again upon the same spot. The gun being kept 
vigorously at work, almost the entire flock is some- 
times destroyed. At each discharge, the living birds 
fly over their slain or wounded companions, shrieking 
as loudly as ever, but still returning to the stack to 
receive their measure of what the farmer would call 
retributive justice. 

These birds roost in companies, occupying the 
large cavities which are found in the sycamore trees, 
clinging to the sides of the hole as close together as 
they can crowd, hanging on with their bill and claws. 
They can scarcely be said to have any nests, their 
eggs being laid upon a few pieces of rotten wood at 
the bottom of the holes in which they roost. 

Alexander Wilson, that accurate and beautiful 
ornithological writer, gives such an interesting ac- 
count of one of these birds, which he kept for some 



THE CAROLINA PARROT. 



149 



time in confinement, throwing so much light upon 
their peculiar manners, that we cannot forbear in- 
serting it: 

"Anxious to try the effect of education on one of 
those which I procured at Big Bone Lick, and which 
was but slightly wounded in the wing, I fixed up a 
place for it in the stern of my boat, and presented 
it with some Cockle Burs, which it freely fed on in 
less than an hour after being on board. The inter- 
mediate time between eating and sleeping was occu- 
pied in gnawing the sticks that formed its place of 
confinement, in order to make a practicable breach, 
which it repeatedly effected. When I abandoned 
the river, and travelled by land, I wrapped it up 
closely in a silk handkerchief, tying it tightly around, 
and carried it in my pocket. When I stopped for 
refreshment, I unbound my prisoner, and gave it its 
allowance, which it generally despatched with great 
dexterity, unhusking the seeds from the bur in a 
twinkling; in doing which it always employed its 
left foot to hold the bur, as did several others that I 
kept for some time. In recommitting it to ' durance 
vile/ we generally had a quarrel, during which it 
frequently paid me in kind for the wound I had in- 
flicted, and for depriving it of liberty, by cutting 
and almost disabling several of my fingers with its 
sharp and powerful bill. The path through the wil- 
derness between Nashville and Natchez is in some 
places bad beyond description. There are dangerous 
creeks to swim, miles of morass to struggle through, 
rendered almost as gloomy as night by a prodigious 
13* 



150 INSESSORES. 

growth of timber, and an underwood of canes and 
other evergreens ; while the descent into these slug- 
gish streams is often ten or fifteen feet perpendicu- 
lar, into a bed of deep clay. In some of the worst 
of these places, where I had, as it were, to fight my 
way through, the Paraquet frequently escaped from 
my pocket, obliging me to dismount and pursue it 
through the worst of the morass before I could re- 
gain it. On these occasions I was several times 
tempted to abandon it; but I persisted in bringing it 
along. When at night I encamped in the woods, I 
placed it on the baggage beside me, where it usually 
sat with great composure, dozing and gazing at the 
fire till morning. In this manner I carried it up- 
wards of a thousand miles in my pocket, where it 
was exposed all day to the jolting of the horse, but 
regularly liberated at meal times, and in the evening, 
at which it always expressed great satisfaction. In 
passing through the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations, 
the Indians, wherever I stopped to feed, collected 
around me, men, women, and children, laughing and 
seeming wonderfully amused with the novelty of my 
companion. The Chickasaws called it in their lan- 
guage 'kilinJci/;' but when they heard me call it 
Poll, they soon repeated the name ; and wherever I 
chanced to stop among these people, we soon became 
familiar with each other through the medium of Poll. 
On arriving at Mr. Dunbar's, below Natchez, I pro- 
cured a cage and placed it under the piazza, where, 
by its call, it soon attracted the passing flocks ; such 
is the attachment they have for each other. Numer- 



THE CAROLINA PARROT. 151 

ous parties frequently alighted on the trees imme- 
diately above, keeping up a constant conversation 
with the prisoner. One of these I wounded slightly 
in the wing, and the pleasure Poll expressed on meet- 
ing with this new companion was really amusing. 
She crept close up to it as it hung on the side of the 
cage ; chattered to it in a low tone of voice, as if 
sympathizing in its misfortune ; scratched about its 
head and neck with her bill; and both at night 
nestled as close as possible to each other; sometimes 
Poll's head being thrust among the plumage of the 
other. On the death of this companion, she appeared 
restless and inconsolable for several days. On reach- 
ing New Orleans, I placed a looking-glass beside the 
place where she usually sat, and the instant she per- 
ceived her image, all her former fondness seemed to 
return, so that she could scarcely absent herself from 
it a moment. It was evident that she was completely 
deceived. Always when evening drew on, and often 
during the day, she laid her head close to that of the 
image in the glass, and began to doze with great 
composure and satisfaction. In this short space she 
had learned to know her name ; to answer and come 
when called on ; to climb up my clothes, sit on my 
shoulder, and eat from my mouth. I took her with 
me to sea, determined to persevere in her education ; 
but, destined to another fate, poor Poll, having one 
morning about daybreak wrought her way through 
the cage, while I was asleep, instantly flew overboard, 
and perished in the Gulf of Mexico." 



152 INSESS0RE8 



CHAPTER VIII. 

INSESSORES: SYNDAGTYLL 

HUMMING BIRDS. 

The number of species of Humming Birds known 
to Linnaeus, and other early naturalists, was compar- 
atively few; while, more recently, Lesson, who has 
been considered a great exponent of the family, has, 
in his works upon that subject, only figured and de- 
scribed about one hundred and ten. But through 
the means of various travellers who have given the 
subject their particular attention, the number has been 
gradually swelled, until at the present time it amounts 
to upwards of three hundred and twenty distinct and 
well-defined species. This result is in a great meas- 
ure owing to the energetic exertions of John Gould 
of London and Charles Lucian Bonaparte, Prince of 
Canino, whose collectors have distributed themselves 
throughout the continents of North and South Amer- 
ica, making search among unexplored regions for new 
species. 

The warm and ever-glowing countries of the Trop- 
ics seem to be the most favorite resort of this lovely 
tribe, before the brilliant fire of whose sparkling plu- 
mage the gorgeous colorings of all other feathered 
races grow dull. There, revelling in the undying 



THE HUMMING BIRDS 



155 



verdure of a perpetual Summer, these gems of the 
forest sport their charms amid the sweets of a thous- 
and flowers. 

Although by far the largest number of species of 
the Humming Birds are found in the> West Indies, 
the Brazils, and those countries which lie adjacent 
to the Equator, yet these are by no means the lim- 
its to which they are confined : they enjoy probably 
the most extensive range of country, and experience 
the greatest variety of climate, of any known family. 
The continents of North and South America, from 
Nootka Sound on the northwest and Canada on the 
northeast, to Terra del Fuego on the south, can alone 
be given as the limits of their migrations. The beau- 
tiful and lovely little bird discovered by Captain Cook 
on the borders of Nootka Sound, and which inhabits 
the whole northwest coast, is a lonely representative 
of the genus in the ornithology of those parts; while 
in Canada and the United States, the little Ruby- 
throated Humming Bird is, during Summer, a wel- 
come delegate of the tribe. And although it does 
not, like the Wood Thrush, sit and regale us by its 
melodious song, yet we are none the less attracted by 
its tiny form, its activity and gracefulness as it flits 
from flower to flower, and gaze with admiration upon 
the sparkling of its jewelled breast. 

As we advance farther south the species become 
more numerous ; in Mexico and Guatemala we find 
upwards of thirty or forty species ; while in the West 
Indies and the vast expanse of Central America, 
there are comparatively few members of the family 



156 



INSESSORES. 




Black-hoaded Humming Bird. 

that may not be found at some season of the year. 
On the lone island of Juan Fernandez, in the vicin- 
ity of the very cave which tradition has dedicated to 
the memory of the renowned Robinson Crusoe, two 
elegant species have been obtained. In the Andes, 
whose lofty summits are capped with eternal snows ; 
in the deep recesses of the craters of extinct volca- 
noes; and where Chimborazi and Cotopaxi poured 
forth their streams of liquid fire, — there these little 



THE HUMMING BIRDS. 



157 



jewelled bands, with untiring wing, suck the sweet 
nectar from some favorite flower, or with the velocity 
of thought flash like meteors across the vision, in 
pursuit of their prey. 

The traveller who has visited the haunts of these 
birds, can alone possess an adequate idea of their 
surpassing loveliness. As they seldom live long in 
confinement, almost the only impression we can form 
of them is gained from the descriptions of those who 
have observed their habits in their native woods, and 
from the examination of the stuffed skins in our cab- 
inets. The varieties of form, size, and color are so 
many, and the general development of the organs is 
so various, that in viewing a collection of these lovely 
creatures, one cannot but wonder at so wide a differ- 
ence between them, while a general resemblance is 
constantly preserved. 

In the island of Jamaica, and peculiar to that lo- 
cality, is found a species familiarly known by the 
name of Polytmus, or Black-headed Humming Bird, 
— having two of the tail feathers lengthened to a 
degree quite disproportionate, being more than twice 
the length of the body ; while in the Andes of Bo- 
gota there exists a variety (Sword-bill) with the bill 
protruded to such an astonishing extent, as almost to 
make, one laugh at the magnitude of the supposed 
deformity. From Brazil and Guiana we receive 
specimens having crests on the head, and lateral 
tufts on the neck, capable of being raised or depressed 
at pleasure, and which, when fully expanded, give 
the bird the appearance of being possessed of two 
14 



158 



INSESSORES. 




Sword-bill Humming Bird. 

pair of wings. Of these, the Chestnut-tufted Co- 
quette is the most beautiful. Others again with 
crests of various forms and dimensions ; some, as in 
the Delalande Humming Bird, whose crest when 
elevated measures nearly as long as the body of the 
bird. 

But the most striking difference is in the various 
forms and peculiar development of the tail. The 
Polytmus, with its long, dangling plumes, has already 



THE HUMMING BIRDS. 159 

been noticed. Tn the Racket>tail we have a tail 
deeply forked, with the two outer quills entirely bare 
of webbing in the centre, for about one-third their 
length, and at the outer extremities expanding sud- 
denly into a broad spathe, somewhat in the shape of 
a battledore. In the gorgeous Comet-tail the tail is 
forked, and composed of broad feathers, the outer 
pair about four and a half inches in length, all tip- 
ped with black, and glowing with a radiant lustre 
like highly polished brass, with a considerable tinge 
of red, which has given it with some the significant 
title of Flame-tail. A number of other species might 
be mentioned to show the vast variety of forms as- 
sumed by this important appendage, which adds to 
each species a peculiar grace, and no doubt exerts a 
considerable influence in regulating its motions upon 
the wing; but the limits of this article will not admit 
of more. 

The peculiar beauty of the Humming Bird con- 
sists in the metallic lustre of its coloring ; and when 
seen in a strong light, some parts of the plumage 
exhibit a surface of the most exquisite polish, glit- 
tering with all the brilliancy of the ruby, the fiery 
lustre of the topaz, and the soft sparkling of the 
sapphire, the emerald, and the amethyst. Their voice 
consists mostly of a low twitter or chirp, although it 
is asserted that some species indulge in a low but 
not unmusical warble. Thus we see that Nature dis- 
tributes her gifts with an equal hand; for, while to 
these little creatures she has given a plumage of tho 
most unrivalled splendor, covering their feathers with 



160 INSESSORES. 

burnished gold, and tinging them with the ever- 
changing hues of the most glittering gems, — upon 
others, arrayed in a plainer dress, she has bestowed 
that peculiarly fascinating and delightful charm, a 
voice that rings through the woodlands like a heaven- 
born melody. 

It has been observed that the Humming Birds 
seldom live long in confinement; and although they 
have been kept during a period of several weeks, 3 ct 
they generally languish and die in a much shorter 
space of time. A creature so evidently formed for 
continued activity, whose very food is taken upon 
the wing, would naturally prove difficult to domesti- 
cate; and the impossibility of supplying it with its 
natural food, would at once suggest the uncertainty 
of success. The Polytmus has been known in sev- 
eral instances to live in an apartment sufficiently large 
to allow of free exercise ; and by being constantly 
supplied with fresh flowers and a syrup prepared for 
the purpose, has been kept alive for a few weeks ; but 
the almost entire absence of the minute insects which 
constitute the principal part of their food, rendered 
them so feeble and emaciated as soon to cause their 
death from actual starvation. When first caught and 
placed in confinement, they mostly pine away, and 
die in a few days of fright or grief. Sometimes, in 
fits of desperation, they beat themselves about and 
butt their little heads against the sides of the cage, 
and soon fall down exhausted and die. 

In the manner of constructing their nests, the 
Humming Birds differ almost as widely as in their 



THE HUMMING BIRDS. 161 

forms and colorings. In some species it is hung in 
the most graceful manner from the tendrils of some 
twining creeper, whose luxuriant bowers of fragrant 
bloom supply them with abundant food and protection 
from the weather. Some are supported by the slen- 
der stalks of a rampant shrub, while others are perched 
beneath the jutting point of some rock o'ergrown 
with ferns and flowers, or built upon the horizontal 
branch of some moss-covered tree. The beautiful 
Delalande Humming Bird constructs a neat little 
nest in the form of an inverted cone, made of moss, 
lichens, fibrous roots, spiders' webs, and the involu- 
cres of plants, suspended from the slender stems of a 
species of bamboo, and almost entirely imbedded in 
its foliage. The little Ruby-throat of the United 
States, the only species which is familiar to us, gen- 
erally builds upon the strong branch of some old 
tree, and so assimilates the outside of the nest with 
the mossy covering of the bark, as to make it diffi- 
cult to be discovered, except by accident or by dili- 
gent search. The principal materials used in the 
construction of the nests are fine grass, fibrous roots, 
bark, spiders' webs, feathers, wool, hair, moss, and 
lichens, each selecting such of them as are best 
adapted to its wants, or most easily procured ; and in 
most, if not all cases, the interior is lined with the 
soft down or pubescence gathered from various plants. 
The following interesting account, given by a res- 
ident of Jamaica, of the manners of the Polytmus, 
as having come under his own observation, is taken 
H* L 



162 



INSESSORES, 



from Martin's " Humming Birds of Gould's Collec 
tion : " 

" In the latter part of February a friend showed 
me a nest of this species, in a singular situation, but 
■which I afterward found to be quite in accordance 
with its usual habits. It was at Bognie, situated on 
the Bluefield Mountain. About a quarter of a mile 
within the woods, a blind path, choked up with bushes, 
descends suddenly beneath an overhanging rock of 
limestone, the face of which presents large projec- 
tions and hanging points, encrusted with a rough tu- 
berculous sort of stalactite. At one corner of the 
bottom there is a cavern, in which a tub is fixed, to 
receive water of great purity, which perpetually drips 
from the roof, and which in the dry season is a most 
valuable resource. Beyond this, which is very ob- 
scure, the eye penetrates to a larger area, deeper still, 
which receives light from some other communication 
with the air. Bound the projections and groins of 
the front, the roots of the trees above have entwined, 
and to a fibre of one of these, hanging down, not 
thicker than a whip-cord, was suspended a Humming 
Bird's nest, containing two eggs. It seemed to be 
composed wholly of moss, was thick, and attached to 
the rootlet by the side. One of the eggs was broken. 
I did not disturb it, but after three weeks visited it 
again. It had apparently been handled by some cu- 
rious child, for both eggs were broken and the nest 
evidently deserted. While I lingered in this roman- 
tic place, picking up some of the land shells which 
were scattered among the rocks, suddenly I heard the 



THE HUMMING BIRDS. 163 

whirr of a Humming Bird, and looking up saw a 
female Polytmus hovering opposite the nest with a 
mass of silk-cotton in her beak. Deterred by the 
sight of me, she presently retired to a twig a few 
paces distant, on which she sat. I immediately sunk 
down among the rocks as gently as possible, and re- 
mained perfectly still. In a few seconds she came 
again, and after hovering a moment disappeared be- 
hind one of the projections, whence in a few seconds 
she emerged again, and flew off. I then examined 
the place, and found to my delight a new nest in all 
respects like the old one, but unfinished, affixed to 
another twig not a yard from it. I again sat down 
among the stones in front, where I could see the nest, 
not>concealing myself, but remaining motionless, wait- 
ing for the bird's reappearance. I had not to wait 
long : a loud whirr, and there she was, suspended in 
the air before the nest. She soon espied me, and 
came within a foot of my eyes, hovering just in front 
of my face. I remained still, however, when I heard 
the whirring of another just above me, perhaps the 
mate ; but I durst not look toward him, lest the turn- 
ing of my head should frighten the female. In a 
minute or two the other was gone, and she alighted 
again on the twig, where she sat some little time 
preening her feathers, and apparently clearing her 
mouth from the cotton fibres, for she now and then 
swiftly projected the tongue an inch and a half from 
the beak, continuing the same curve as that of the 
beak. When she arose it was to perform a very in- 



164 



INSESSORES. 



teresting action ; for she flew to the face of the rock, 
which was thickly clothed with soft dry moss, and 
hovering on the wing as if before a flower, began to 
pluck the moss until she had a large bunch of it in 
her beak. Then I saw her fly to the nest, and hav- 
ing seated herself in it, proceed to place the new 
materials, pressing and arranging and interweaving 
the whole with her beak, while she fashioned the 
cup-like form of the interior by the pressure of her 
white breast, moving round and round as she sat. 
My presence appeared to be no hindrance to her pro- 
ceedings, although only a few feet distant ; at length 
she left the place, and I left also." 

In all the species, as far as has yet been ascer- 
tained, the female deposits but two eggs, which are 
beautifully white, or slightly tinged with yellow; the 
period of incubation varies from ten to about sixteen 
days ; the young, when hatched, are quite naked and 
blind, but soon become covered with feathers, and in 
about three weeks are able to take care of themselves 
and leave the nest, becoming in a short time as active 
on the wing as their parents, from whom they can 
only be distinguished by their plumage. 

The fact that the food of these birds consists 
mostly of insects, has been well established both by 
observation and experiment; the few individuals 
which have lived in confinement have been seen 
eagerly catching such as have chanced to be in the 
apartment which they occupied; while the quick 
snapping of the bill, similar to that of the Fly- 



TIIE HUMMING BIRDS 



165 



catchers, distinctly heard when darting through the 
air, at once indicates the nature of its sustenance. 
For this reason they often frequent the horders of 
streams ; and are seen skimming over the surface of 
ponds of water, where a minute insect life is most 
abundant. The bills also of many species are pro- 
vided with seratures, to enable them more certainly 
to secure their prey. The corollas of many large 
tubular flowers are infested by microscopic insects, 
which undoubtedly attract the birds, as well as the 
sweet nectar contained in the cup below; and to ob- 
tain which they are furnished with a tongue formed 
like that of the Woodpeckers, divided into two tubes 
which run throughout its entire length, and is capa- 
ble of being protruded to a considerable distance 
from the point of the beak, thus serving the purpose 
of a pump to draw up the honey from the deep re- 
cesses of the flower, while it is also used to collect 
the insects from the corolla. 

In most species of Humming Birds there is a wide 
difference noticeable in the plumage of the males and 
the females, the latter being rarely if ever clothed 
with the rich metallic hues of the former. In a few 
instances where the coloring of both sexes is plain, 
no difference is apparent. The young birds do not 
generally attain their full livery until the second or 
third year; they make their first appearance in the 
sombre garb of the female, which gradually changes 
with each successive moulting until maturity. 

The structure of the scale-like feathers which 



166 INSESSORES. 

adorn various parts of their bodies is very peculiar, 
presenting as they do a beautifully burnished sur- 
face, glittering with intense brilliancy, and tinged 
with the most exquisite shades of green, gold, crim- 
son, or black. 

The Ruby Topaz Humming Bird, when viewed 
directly in front, has a gorget of the most fiery 
orange ; but alter the angle at which the light strikes 
it, and we have a surface of emerald green, which, 
by still another change in position, is converted into 
velvety black. This changeableness is due to the 
construction of the feathers, for, upon close exami- 
nation, we find each composed of a multitude of 
facets, which are so arranged as to present various 
angles to the falling rays, and thus absorb or reflect 
the different colors, according to the position in which 
they are held. 

The surpassing beauty, the swiftness of flight, and 
the apparent intelligence of these winged gems, can- 
not fail to attract and rivet the attention of the most 
listless observer j darting from blossom to blossom, 
poising themselves as by magic, in mid air, upon 
viewless wings, now gently dipping their radiant 
bosoms into the deep recesses of the gayest corollas, 
and now resting like little fairies upon some delicate 
twig or tendril to preen their ruffled plumes, they 
must ever be to the reflective mind fit objects of 
wonder and admiration. 

There are seven species which have been found 
within the limits of the United States. The Ruby- 
throat, abundant almost everywhere in Summer; the 



THE HUMMING BIRDS. 167 

Nootka Sound Hummer, inhabiting Oregon and the 
Northwest Coast; the Anna Humming Bird; the 
Purple-throated Humming Bird; and Costa's Hum- 
ming Bird, found in California and Mexico; the 

Broad-tailed Flame Bearer, from Texas and Mexico : 

• . . . 

and the Mango Humming Bird, a single specimen 

of which was captured upon one of the small islands 

or keys at the southern extremity of Florida. 



168 



INSESSORES. 



CHAPTER IX. 

INSESSORES: ACCIPITRES. 

WALK TO THE FIELDS — HABITS OF DIFFERENT BIRDS TUR- 
KEY BUZZARD VULTURE CONDOR EAGLE HAWK 

FALCON — KITE — HAWK OWL AND THE OWL. 

If we look over the wide extent of our country, 
washed by the bright waves of the Atlantic on the 
one side, and by the blue waters of the Pacific on 
the other, and stretching from the cold icy regions 
of Hudson's Bay to the far-off boundaries of Texas 
and California, we shall observe that its surface is 
not only diversified with a charming variety of moun- 
tains and valleys, hills and dales, table-lands and 
prairies, but that each region is tenanted by an ani- 
mated life in many respects peculiarly its own. This 
is particularly noticeable with reference to birds; 
and although many species seem to enjoy a wide 
range, extending during their migrations almost from 
the extreme north to the extreme south, yet it will 
be found that the summer haunts of most are gener- 
ally restricted to certain localities, beyond which they 
are seldom known to build their nest and rear their 
young. This peculiarity will become more apparent 
as we proceed with our description of some of the 
most prominent species. 

We will now invite our readers to accompany us 



THE TURKEY BUZZARD, 



171 



into the fields and woods, far from the noise of city 
life, and where no sound is heard but the ceaseless 
voice of Nature. Here we shall see the birds in all 
their native beauty, not as we see the stuffed mum- 
mies in our cabinets, but as free tenants of the air, 
enjoying all the life and liberty in which they were 
created. It is a warm, bright morning of Summer ; 
the sultry air teems with the fragrant odors of the 
hay-fields ; the sweet warblers which early sang their 
notes from the neighboring grove have retired to the 
deep and cooling shelter of the forest. We seek the 
shade of some wide-spreading oak, where we may sit 
down and observe what is passing around us. If we 
turn our eyes upward, we will probably see four or 
five dark-looking objects, apparently like crows, sail- 
ing in easy circles, or floating about in graceful curves, 
sometimes dashing off with impetuous velocity, or 
mounting high in the air, until almost lost to view, 
their varied motions being performed without any 
further apparent effort of the wings than a few flaps. 
These are the Turkey Buzzards, and if one of them 
should pass before us upon the ground, we would 
scarcely suspect so awkward, unsightly, heavy and 
inanimate a looking object, could be so free and 
graceful upon the wing; and if we should see him 
thrust his head and neck into the mangled corpse 
of some poor old horse which had just fallen a prey 
to the stroke of death, we should be still more dis- 
gusted with his unmannerly behavior. But how- 
ever justly we may censure him for his uncouth ap- 
pearance and his filthy habits, he is nevertheless one 



172 INSESSORES. 

of our best friends. In the warm cities of the South, 
(for it is here that these birds are most abundant), 
troops of them, in company with the Black Vultures, 
may be found almost daily performing the office of 
scavengers. They are to be seen walking or flying 
about the streets, frequenting the markets or sham- 
bles, and greedily snatching up the pieces of flesh 
which are thrown away by the butchers, and even 
attempting, when opportunity offers, to help them- 
selves from the benches where meat is exposed for 
sale ; thus the air is, in great measure, kept free from 
the foul effluvia which would otherwise be created by 
the accumulation of such substances. They will also 
follow the carcass of a horse or cow as it is dragged 
through the streets, and upon its being deposited in 
the suburbs, will even dispute possession with the 
dogs which assemble to assist in devouring it; but 
should Eagles make their appearance on such occa- 
sions, the Vultures retire, and patiently wait until 
their second turn comes, when they immediately 
commence again in all the hurry of a keen appetite, 
and seldom stop until the whole is consumed. 

The California Vulture is another species similar 
in its habits and appearance, although much larger, 
it being the largest bird known to exist north of the 
isthmus of Darien, almost equalling the far-famed 
Condor of the Andes, to which it is closely allied.* 

* The Condor, being a Large and powerful bird, is, even 
under unfavorable circumstances, almost a match for a full- 
grown man. Captain Head relates the following anecJoto 



THE VULTURES. 



173 



Vultures can perceive the existence of carrion at a 
very great distance. Some authors have supposed 
that it was owing to the sense of smell being very 
acute ; but it appears to be by no means certain that 
the olfactory nerve, which in mammalia is the organ 
of smell, does in birds perform that function. The 
Vultures, as well as many other birds, possess an 

of a contest between a strong English miner from Cornwall 
and one of these gormandizers after a full meal: 

" The man, when riding along the plains, saw several 
Condors, and guessing that they were attracted by the body 
of some dead animal, rode up, and found a numerous flock 
around the carcase of a horse. One of the largest was 
standing with one foot on the ground, and the other in the 
horse's body, exhibiting a singular force of muscular power, 
as he lifted the flesh and tore off great pieces, sometimes 
shaking his head and pulling with his beak, or sometimes 
pushing with his leg. As the man approached, one of them, 
which appeared to be gorged, rose up, and flew about fifty 
yards off, when it alighted, and he rode up to it, and then 
jumping down, seized the bird by the neck. The contest 
was severe, and never probably was such a battle seen be- 
fore, as a Cornish miner and a Condor. The man declared 
he never had had such a trial of strength in his life, that 
he put his knee upon the bird's breast, and tried with all 
his might to twist his neck, but that the Condor, objecting 
to this, struggled most violently, and he fully expected that 
several other birds, which were flying over him, would take 
part against him, and assist their companion. At length, 
however, the man succeeded, as he supposed, and carrying 
off the pinion quills in triumph, left the bird for dead. But 
so tenacious are they of life, and so difficult to kill, that 
another horseman, who passed the spot some time after, 
found it still living and struggling." 

15* 



174 INSESSORES. 

extraordinary development of the nasal organs, but 
for what purpose it is designed is not fully known. 
From the earliest ages, the powers of vision of these 
birds have been almost proverbial, and as they seem 
to be constantly on the look-out for some object with 
which to gratify their voracious appetites, it is more 
than probable that their quickness of sight, rather 
than the sense of smell, assists them in discovering 
their food. Wilson, the American ornithologist, 
speaks of having counted two hundred and thirty- 
seven black Vultures, which had collected for the 
purpose of devouring the carcase of a horse; and 
from his description, we should suppose that nothing 
was left but the naked skeleton long before the least 
effluvia could have escaped from the body to attract 
them.* 

Sometimes in the midst of a troop of Vultures may 
be recognized the white head and white tail of the 

* In travelling over the wide deserts of Africa, where 
there is not a blade of grass to tempt a living bird or ani- 
mal, and therefore no inducement for birds of prey to scour 
the wilderness in search of game, should a camel or other 
beast of burden drop under its load in the train of a caravan, 
in less than half an hour there will be seen high in the air 
a number of the smallest specks moving slowly round in 
circles, and gradually growing larger and larger as they 
descend in spiral windings toward the earth. These are the 
Vultures, but whence they come, or by what sign or call 
they are collected from such a vast heigfit, is mysterious ; 
though it is quite possible that it is in consequence of both 
the senses being possessed of an acuteness of which we can 
hardly form any conception. 




BALD EAGLE. 



Page 175. 



THE BALD EAGLE 



175 



Bald Eagle, the rest of his plumage being quite sim- 
ilar to that of his less dignified companions, but from 
whom he may be readily distinguished by the greater 
ease of his motions, as well as his more majestic ap- 
pearance. While the Turkey Buzzard sails in con- 
tracted circles, or swims off in a wide curve, the 
Eagle, as if conscious of his superiority, floats upon 
his unmoving wing as though he would compass in 
one vast sweep the broad expanse of Heaven ; or 
sometimes, when at his greatest altitude, hardly ap- 
pearing as more than a black speck in the dim dis- 
tance, he will fold his wings and descend with the 
velocity of thought toward the earth, when suddenly 
unfurling his broad pinions, he checks his downward 
course, and glides off like an arrow to a distant 
quarter. 

The Eagles often resort to stratagem to secure their 
prey, being well aware that ducks, and other water- 
fowl on which they feed, can readily elude their grasp 
by diving beneath the water and again appearing 
above the surface at some distance. To meet this 
difficulty, they will hunt in pairs; and having dis- 
covered the object of their search, will ascend into 
the air in opposite directions until they have reached 
a considerable height, when one of them immediately 
glides with great swiftness toward the place where 
the bird is engaged quietly seeking its food ; the 
latter, observing his intentions, dives the moment 
before he reaches the spot, but upon again rising to 
the surface he is met by the second Eagle, whose 
keen vision may have traced his course under the 



176 



INSESSORES, 



water, and who has descended from his elevation just 
in time to force the poor bird again to take refuge 
beneath the water almost before he has taken breath; 
and thus by repeated attacks the duck becomes wea- 
ried, and swims for the shore, where he is easily cap- 
tured by the Eagles, who divide the dainty morsel 
between them. 

Fish also constitutes a considerable portion of the 
food of the Bald Eagle, and to the vicinity of the 
sea or other large bodies of water they often resort 
for the purpose of obtaining it. Here one may some- 
times be seen " fishing," as the boys say, " upon his 
own hook," but much more frequently does he sup- 
ply himself and young with food by robbing the in- 
dustrious Fish Hawk of the fruits of his honest toil. 
The scene thus enacted is often of a very interesting 
and exciting character, and is thus graphically de- 
scribed by Wilson : " Elevated on the high dead limb 
of come gigantic tree that commands a wide view of 
the neighboring shore and ocean, the Eagle seems 
calmly to contemplate the motions of the various 
feathered tribes that pursue their busy avocations 
below, — the snow-white Gulls slowly winnowing the 
air; the busyFringae coursing along the sands; trains 
of Ducks streaming over the surface ; silent and watch- 
ful Cranes, intent and wading; clamorous Crows; and 
all the winged multitudes that subsist by the bounty 
of this vast liquid magazine of Nature. High over 
all these hovers one, whose action instantly arrests 
his whole attention. By his wide curvature of wing, 
and sudden suspension in air, he knows him to be 



THE BALD EAGLE, 



17' 



the Fish Hawk, settling over some devoted victim 
of the deep. His eye kindles at the sight, and, 
balancing himself, with half-opened wings, on the 
branch, he watches the result. Down, rapid as an 
arrow from Heaven, descends the distant object of 
his attention, the roar of its wings reaching the ear 
as it disappears in the deep, making the surges foam 
around. At this moment the eager looks of the 
Eagle are all ardor; and, levelling his neck for 
flight, he sees the Fish Hawk once more emerge, 
struggling with his prey, and mounting in the air 
with screams of exultation. These are the signal £>r 
our hero, who, launching into the air, instantly gives 
chase, and soon gains on the Fish Hawk ; each exerts 
his utmost to mount above the other, displaying in 
these rencontres the most elegant and sublime aerial 
evolutions. The unencumbered Eagle rapidly ad- 
vances, and is just on the point of reaching his op- 
ponent, when, with a sudden scream, probably of 
despair and honest execration, the latter drops his 
fish; the Eagle, poising himself for a moment, as if 
to take a more certain aim, descends like a whirlwind, 
snatches it in his grasp ere it reaches the water, and 
bears his ill-gotten booty silently away to the woods." 
This cowardly and selfish behavior of the Eagle 
would seem to unfit him to be the national emblem 
of a people devoted to freedom, and who glory in the 
unmolested enjoyment of their rights. Dr. Franklin 
deeply regretted that it had been chosen as the rep- 
resentative of our country, but however appropriate 
or inappropriate the comparison may be, there is no 
M 



178 



INSESSORES 



good reason for our following its example in idly 
watching the labors of the poor slave, and then rob- 
bing him of a part of the fruits of his toil. 

The most noble representatives of this family are 
the Golden Eagle and the Washington Eagle, both 
natives of America, and the former of many parts 
of Europe and Asia. 

The Golden Eagle is a large and powerful bird, 
noble and majestic in appearance. Its food consists 
principally of lambs, fawns, rabbits, turkeys, ducks, 
and other large birds. In capturing its prey it does 
not manifest the same agility as the Bald Eagle in 
pursuing and seizing it upon the wing, but it is 
obliged to descend from a considerable height upon 
it to insure success. The keenness of its vision, 
however, enables it to discern at a great distance the 
objects of its desire, upon which it generally falls 
with the swiftness of a meteor, and with an unerring 
and deadly aim. The feathers of this Eagle are 
much sought after by the Indians of North America, 
as an ornament of their dress ; and so highly are they 
prized, that it is said a warrior will often exchange a 
valuable horse for the tail feathers of a single bird.* 

* Eagles being possessed of both strength and courage, 
will, under some circumstances, especially when pressed by 
hunger, openly attack the human species ; and numerous 
well-authenticated accounts are on record of young chil- 
dren having been carried away and devoured by them. 
Bishop Heber, in his travels in India, passed through a 
mountainous district where sad complaints were made of 
their carrying off infant children ; and some years ago a 
traveller in the Alps observed suspended from a jutting crag 



THE SPARROW HAWK 



179 



Next in size and importance to the Eagles come 
the Hawks and Falcons, of which the varieties are 
numerous. They all possess great similarity in their 
formation and habits, mostly pursuing their prey 
upon the wing, securing its capture by the vigor and 
rapidity of their flight. 

The Sparrow Hawk, a neat and very active bird, 
rather less in size than a pigeon, is a frequent visi- 
tor to the farm-house and barn-yard, where it sits 
perched erect upon a fence-stake, watching intently 
for the approach of some unlucky mouse or mole, or 
even for beetles or grasshoppers, upon which it 
pounces with great quickness, and immediately re- 
turns to its stand to devour it. When changing its 
position it flies low until within a few yards of the 
spot upon which it wishes to settle, when it suddenly 

the tnttered remains of a child's clothing, who had been 
carried away from the valley below by the Lammergeier, 
or Bearded Vulture. 

A lnrge Eagle some years ago made an attack upon a 
little boy about seven years of age, residing near the city 
of New York, who, with a younger brother, was amusing 
himself with attempting to reap, during the absence of 
their parents. The bird sailed slowly over them, and with 
a sudden swoop endeavored to seize the child, but luckily 
missed him. He then alighted at a short distance for a few 
moments, when he again renewed the attempt. The brave 
little fellow at once struck at his assailant with the sickle 
which he happened to have in his hand, and so resolutely 
was the blow given, that entering under the left wing it 
passed between the ribs, and penetrating the liver, proved 
fatal. The bird's stomach was found to be entirely empty, 
which may in some degree account for so unusual an attack. 



180 INSESSORES. 

rises "with an easy curve and alights with the utmost 
grace, closing its wings with the rapidity of thought. 
Sometimes a Sparrow or Finch crosses its pathway, 
when the little Hawk, all anxiety to secure so great 
a prize, at once gives chase, and soon overtaking it, 
bears it off to share the dainty morsel with its mate 
and young. The Sparrow Hawk is capable of being 
domesticated and rendered quite companionable. Au- 
dubon gives the following description of a young bird 
which he kept for some time : " I once found a young 
male that had dropped from the nest before it was 
able to fly. Its cries for food attracted my notice, 
and I discovered it lying near a log. I took it home, 
named it ' Nero/ and provided it with small birds, 
at which it would scramble fiercely, although yet un- 
able to tear their flesh, in which I assisted it. In a 
few weeks it grew very beautiful, and became so vo- 
racious, requiring a great number of birds daily, that 
I turned it out to see how it would shift for itself. 
This proved a gratification to both of us. It soon 
hunted for grasshoppers and other insects, and on 
returning from my walks, I now and then threw a 
dead bird high in the air, which it never failed to 
perceive from its stand, and toward which it launched 
with such quickness as sometimes to catch it before 
it fell to the ground. The little fellow attracted the 
notice of his brothers, brought up hard by, who, ac- 
companied by their parents, at first gave it chase, and 
forced it to take refuge behind one of the window- 
shutters, where it usually passed the night; but soon 
became gentler toward it, as if forgiving its desertion. 



THE DUCK HAWK. 



183 



My bird was fastidious in the choice of food, would 
not touch a Woodpecker, however fresh, and as he 
grew older refused to eat birds that were in the least 
tainted. To the last he continued kind to me, and 
never failed to return at night to his favorite roost 
behind the window-shutter. His courageous dispo- 
sition often amused the family, as he would sail off 
from his stand and fall on the back of a tame duck, 
which, setting up a loud ' quack/ would waddle off 
in great alarm, with the Hawk sticking to her. But, 
as has often happened to adventurers of similar spirit, 
his audacity cost him his life. A hen and her brood 
chanced to attract his notice, and he flew to secure 
one of the chickens, but met one whose parental 
affection inspired her with a courage greater than 
his own. The conflict, which was severe, ended the 
adventures of poor Nero." 

The Duck Hawk is probably the swiftest-winged 
Hawk with which we are acquainted. When pursu- 
ing its prey it moves with astonishing rapidity, fol- 
lowing it in all its turnings and dodgings through 
the air until within a few feet of it, when it protrudes 
its talons, and closing its wings for a moment, rushes 
upon it, and if not too heavy, bears it off to the earth. 
He pursues the Ducks and Water Hens with ,«uch 
quickness as often to snatch them from the water 
before they could dive beneath it; and with the most 
daring assurance will sometimes come at the report 
of a gun and carry off the prize almost from under 
the nose of the sportsman who has killed it. 

The Peregrine Falcon, which is a native of Europe, 



184 



INSESSORES. 



representing there the Duck Hawk of America, ap- 
pears to have been the favorite Hawk among the fal- 
coners of the olden time. In the early part of Euro- 
pean history mention is frequently made of the sport 
of hawking, and it was then considered as a recrea- 
tion of such a dignified character, that it was placed 
by laws beyond the power of any but the nobility to 
engage in it. The various nobles vied with each 
other in the superiority and numbers of their Falcons, 
and the life of a serf is said to have been esteemed 
of less value in the eyes of a Norman Baron than 
that of his favorite Hawk. 

To the Hawk family 
also belong the Kite, 
the Swallow - tailed 
Hawk, the Pigeon 
Hawk, the Sharp-shin- 
ned Hawk, and the 
Red - shouldered and 
Red -tailed Buzzards, 
all of which are more 
or less abundant in the 
various sections of the 
country. 

Next to these, as a 
connecting link be- 
tween the Hawks and 
Owls, we have the 
Hawk Owl, which appears to be only an occasional 
visitor south of the St. Lawrence river. In the vicin- 
ity of Hudson's Bay it is quite abundant, and is also 




Hawk Owl. 



THE HAWK OWL. 



185 



found in Denmark, Sweden, and Siberia. It strongly 
resembles the Hawks in the general form of the body, 
the narrowness of the face, and the length of the 
tail ; but the radiating feathers around the eyes and 
bill, as well as the form of the legs and feet, at once 
distinguish it as an Owl. It is said to be a bold and 
active species, possessing many of the manners of 
the Hawk, preying by day, and often following the 
sportsman and carrying off the game as soon as shot. 

With the general appearance of the Owl it is pre- 
sumed that most of our readers are acquainted. A 
large head, with a broad flat face, huge eyes sur- 
rounded with fine feathers, which radiate in all direc- 
tions, and almost conceal its small, hooked bill; the 
head sometimes surmounted with two fierce-looking 
horns which project sideways from above the eyes; 
these form some of the most prominent features of 
this peculiar family. 

With the Owl has generally been associated the 
habit of prowling about at night, and committing all 
kinds of depredations upon its sleeping fellow-crea- 
tures, and occasionally scaring some dreamy slum- 
berer by perching upon his window-shutter, and inter- 
spersing his visions with a wild and unearthly laugh. 
How often has this innocent note of the poor little 
Owl been made the foundation of senseless stories 
about ghosts and other appearances whose existence 
is not only contrary to Nature, but utterly impossi- 
ble ! 

It is observed that in most species of Owls the 
wing is formed of soft and downy feathers, in conse- 
16* 



186 



INSESSORES. 



quince of which its flight is noiseless, and it glides 
through the still air and pounces upon its victims 
without awaking them, until too late to elude its 
grasp. But there are some varieties in which this 
formation is not so ^noticeable ; they are generally 
found seeking their food by day, and possessing all 
the activity and vigor common to other diurnal birds 
of prey. 

Of these we will mention the Great White or 
Snowy Owl, inhabiting the same district of country 
as the Hawk Owl, and several smaller varieties which 
are active upon the wing in broad daylight. The 
Snowy Owl is only a winter resident in the United 
States, retiring during the Summer to the Arctic re- 
gions. It is, as its name indicates, of a beautiful 
snowy whiteness, sometimes, especially in Summer, 
marked with spots of brown. It feeds on various 
small quadrupeds, on Ducks and other water-fowl, 
and frequents the margins of rivers and creeks for 
the purpose of fishing. They will sometimes, when 
pressed for food, watch at a hole in the ice for the 
fish to pass, when they will catch them in the most 
dexterous manner. Audubon gives the following 
interesting account of this peculiar habit of the 
bird : "At the break of 'day, one morning, when I 
lay hidden in a pile of drift logs at that place (the 
Falls of the Ohio, at Louisville, Kentucky,) waiting 
for a shot at some wild geese, I had an opportunity 
of seeing this Owl secure fish in the following man- 
ner : — While watching for their prey on the borders 
of the l pots/ they invariably lay flat on the rock, 






THE SCREE 




• 



with the body placed lengthwise along '^the? Border 
of the hole, the head alsoUaid do;^-^]*!^^-!©!?-* ,^a 
ard the water. One niigYt have supposed tke-feird.^^^ 
sound asleep, as it would remain in the same posi- 
tion until a good opportunitfjkp^^jmng a'f&ll oc- ^ 
curred, which, I believe, was ne^e^^nisffiQfJ'J^^sl'li *■ 
the latter unwittingly rose to the surface* "ffSar 
edge, that instant the Owl thrust out the foot next 
the water, and, with the quickness of lightning, 
seized it, and drew it out. The Owl then removed 
to the distance of a few yards, devoured its prey, 
and returned to the same hole; or, if it had not 
perceived any more fish, flew only a few yards over 
the many 'pots' there, marked one, and alighted at 
a little distance from it. It then squatted, moved 
slowly toward the edge, and lay as before, waiting 
for an opportunity." 

The Night Owls, with which we are most familiar, 
are the Great Horned, the Long-eared, the Short- 
eared, and the Little Screech Owls. The latter is 
the most abundant species, and there is scarcely any 
section of the Eastern and Middle States where it is 
not found. Its melancholy notes are heard around 
the doors of our farm-houses, as it sits perched upon 
a neighboring tree. Its song, if song it may be 
called, resembles somewhat the syllables, " Who-o-o- 
o-o-oo-oo ! " uttered through the nose tremulously, 
and sometimes conveys the impression that they pro- 
ceed from a child in distress. These notes are most 
frequently heard during the lattei part of Winter ; 
and this being the mating season, the male bird is 






m 



'& 



o- 



188 



INSESSORES, 



particularly attentive to the object of his affections, 
strutting about her in grotesque attitudes, and occa- 
sionally saluting her 
||if y with a nod or a bow, 
awkward enough to 
make one laugh. 

In the vicinity of 
the Rocky Mountains 
a curious species of 
Owl is found, called 
the Burrowing Owl ; 
it inhabits the de- 
serted holes of the 
Marmots or Prairie 
Dogs, which are so 
abundant as some- 
times to cover many 
acres of ground with 
Screech Owl. their villages. In lo- 

calities where these holes do not exist, the Owl is said 
to make a burrow for itself, at the bottom of which it 
lays its eggs. They appear to live on friendly terms 
with the Marmots, but never, as has been supposed, 
is the same burrow inhabited by both ; the Owl al- 
ways selecting for itself one where it may retain un- 
disputed possession. Their habits are strictly diurnal, 
and they feed upon grasshoppers, crickets, and perhaps 
on field-mice. The nest is composed of fine grass, 
and placed at the extremity of the hole, where the 
bird deposits four pale white eggs, about the size of 
those of a pigeon. 




THE PASSENGER PIGEON, 



189 



CHAPTER X. 

INSESSORES: PULLASTR2E. 
CURSORES: GALLINjE. 

PIGEONS — GREAT FLIGHT OP PIGEONS, BY " AUDUBON " 

TURTLE DOVE WILD TURKEY — AMERICAN AND GAMBLE'S 

PARTRIDGE — CANADA, RUFFLED. AND PINNATED GROUSE 
PTARMIGAN. 

The natural division of Birds called Pullastra 
embraces the Doves and Pigeons, the Australian 
Brush Turkey, the extinct Dodo, etc. 

Of all the different members belonging to these 
several groups, by far the most interesting is the 
Passenger, or common Wild Pigeon. It is possessed 
of some of the most singular habits which we have 
yet had occasion to notice in any bird. It is gifted 
with the most astonishing powers of flight, both as 
respects speed and continuance, one mile in a minute 
being considered as the average rate at which it trav- 
els, and this often for many hours together. But 
the most remarkable characteristic of these curious 
and interesting birds, is their habit of congregating 
together at all seasons of the year, and in such num- 
bers as we believe have no parallel among all the 
feathered tribes of the earth. During the period of 
incubation their nests will occupy almost every avail- 
able spot in a tract of woodland many miles in ex- 



190 



IN SES SORES — CURS ORES 



tent. In some instances they are so crowded upon 
the branches, as to cause them to give way; and 
when the young are fully fledged, and the place 
finally deserted, so great has been the havoc and de- 
struction they have caused, that what was before a 
flourishing forest is converted into a wilderness of 
dismantled trunks, every tree being as completely 
destroyed as if girdled, and the whole ground cov- 
ered with their excrements to the depth of several 
inches. 

But it is during their migrations that they assem- 
ble in the most astonishing multitudes. These mi- 
grations are performed only for the purpose of ob- 
taining food, and are not influenced by any changes 
in temperature, or the desire to seek a more genial 
climate. Such countless thousands of hungry birds 
must of necessity soon deprive a large tract of land 
of all its available resources ; hence the necessity of 
their frequently changing their position. 

Audubon, speaking of one of these companies, 
says : " In passing over the Barrens, a few miles 
beyond Hardinsburg, I observed the Pigeons flying 
from northeast to southwest, in greater numbers than 
I thought T had ever seen them before ) and feeling 
an inclination to count the flocks that might pass 
within the reach of my eye in one hour, I dismounted, 
seated myself on an eminence, and began to mark 
with my pencil, making a dot for every flock that 
passed. In a short time finding the task which 1 
had undertaken impracticable, as the birds poured in 
in countless multitudes, I rose, and counting the dots 




Iilllllll! 
(191) 



THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 



193 



then put down, found that 163 had been made in 
twenty-one minutes. I travelled on, and still met 
more the further I proceeded. The air was literally 
filled with Pigeons ; the light of noonday was ob- 
scured as by an eclipse. 

" Before sunset I reached Louisville, distant from 
Hardinsburg fifty-five miles. The Pigeons were still 
passing in undiminished numbers, and continued to 
do so for three days in succession." 

They are very fond of acorns, beech-nuts, and the 
smaller fruits of the forest trees generally; and when 
they have discovered a spot where these abound in 
sufficient quantities to induce them to alight, they do 
so in the most graceful manner, wheeling around in 
circles, as though to discover if danger were near. 
When fairly settled, they commence scratching among 
the leaves for food, which they swallow with such haste 
as sometimes fairly to choke in the process. Parts 
of the flock are almost constantly changing their po- 
sition, which gives it the appearance of being con- 
tinually in motion. 

It is a singular circumstance that the roosting- 
places of these birds should be at so great a distance 
from the spots where they feed, being sometimes as 
much as sixty or eighty miles apart. This is no doubt 
occasioned by their being compelled to change their 
feeding ground frequently, while they still return to 
the same nightly rendezvous. 

One of these roosts is thus described by Audubon : 
il It was, as is always the case, in a portion of the 
forest where the trees were of great magnitude, and 
17 N 



194 INSESSORES — CURSORES. 

where there was little underwood. I rode through 
it upwards of forty miles, and, crossing it in different 
parts, found its average breadth to be rather more 
than three miles. My first view of it was about a 
fortnight subsequent to the period when they had 
made choice of k, and I arrived there nearly two 
hours before sunset. Few Pigeons were then to be 
seen, but a great number of persons, with horses and 
wagons, guns and ammunition, had already established 
encampments on the borders. Two farmers from the 
vicinity of Russelville, distant more than a hundred 
miles, had driven upwards of three hundred hogs to 
be fattened on the pigeons which were to be slaugh- 
tered. Here and there, the people employed in pluck- 
ing and salting what had already been procured, were 
seen sitting in the midst of large piles of these birds. 
Many trees two feet in diameter, I observed, were 
broken off at no great distance from the ground; and 
the branches of many of the largest and tallest had 
given way, as if the forest had been swept by a tor- 
nado. Everything proved to me that the number 
of birds resorting to this part of the forest must 
be immense beyond conception. As the period of 
their arrival approached, their foes anxiously pre- 
pared to receive them. Some were furnished with 
iron pots containing sulphur, others with torches of 
pine-knots, many with poles, and the rest with guns. 
The sun was lost to our view, yet not a Pigeon had 
arrived. Everything was ready, and all eyes were 
gazing on the clear sky, which appeared in glimpses 
among the tall trees. Suddenly there burst forth a 



THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 195 

general cry of < Here they come ! ' The noise which 
they made, though yet distant, reminded me of a 
hard gale at sea, passing through the rigging of a 
close-reefed vessel. As the birds arrived and passed 
over me, I felt a current of air that surprised me. 
Thousands were soon knocked down by the pole-men. 
The birds continued to pour in. The fires were 
lighted, and a magnificent, as well as wonderful and 
almost terrifying, sight presented itself. The Pig- 
eons, arriving by thousands, alighted everywhere one 
above another, until solid masses were formed on the 
branches all round. Here and there the perches 
gave way under the weight, with a crash, and falling 
to the ground, destroyed hundreds of the birds be- 
neath, forcing down the dense groups with which 
every stick was loaded. It was a scene of uproar 
and confusion. I found it quite useless to speak, or 
even to shout to those persons who were nearest to 
me. Even the reports of the guns were seldom 
heard, and I was made aware of the firing only by 
seeing the shooters reloading. 

" No one dared venture within the line of devas- 
tation. The hogs had been penned up in due time, 
the picking up of the dead and wounded being left 
for the next morning's employment. The Pigeons 
were constantly coming, and it was past midnight 
before I perceived a decrease in the number of those 
that arrived." 

The Passenger Pigeon is quite abundant in almost 
all parts of the Union, — roaming in wild and un- 
controllable masses from one place to another, now 



196 



INSESSORES — CURSORES. 



appearing in one section of country, and then quit- 
ting it for an absence of years. Its plumage, though 

plain, is beautifully 
varied on the neck 
and shoulders with 
glossy feathers, re- 
flecting in different 
lights the resplend- 
ent colors of the rain- 
bow. 

The Carolina Dove 
is another very abun- 
dant species, being 
found in the breed- 
ing season in nearly 
every part of the 
Union. They do not, 
however,like the Pas- 
Passenger pigeon. senger Pigeon, as- 

semble in large flocks, seldom being known to con- 
gregate in greater numbers than two or three hundred 
together, and that only during the period of migra- 
tion. So very common and familiar are these birds, 
that it is difficult to take a ride of many miles into 
the country without meeting with them along the 
road-side, always flying in pairs, keeping some dis- 
tance ahead of your vehicle, and now and then alight- 
ing in the middle of the road to search for food or 
to dust themselves. Thus you may follow them for 
some distance, until they suddenly wheel off into an 
adjoining field or wood. Their flight is very swift, 




THE WILD TURKEY. 



197 



and when surprised the motion of the wings is so 
rapid as to produce a peculiar whistling sound. They 
are constant residents of the Middle and Southern 
States, and during the Winter become very tame and 
sociable, sometimes resorting to the barn-yard, and 
feeding in company with the poultry. 

Through the Pigeons we pass readily from the 
Insessores to the Gallinas. This order comprises the 
well-known Wild Turkey, the Partridges, the Grouse, 
Pheasant, Guinea-fowl, etc. 

The Wild Turkey, once so abundant in that part 
of the country lying between the Alleghanies and 
the Mississippi river, appears now to have become 
quite a scarce, shy, and in some places an obsolete 
bird. Like the poor Red Man who once roamed un- 
restrained through the same trackless woods, the 
march of civilization has encroached upon its free- 
dom. And as the Indian has folded his blanket and 
gradually retired before the irresistible step of the 
avaricious white man, to the plains of the Far West, 
so this noblest game of the forest has taken its flight 
from haunts where once the murderous gun was sel- 
dom heard to echo, to nestle among the secluded 
wilds west of the Mississippi. Straggling companies, 
however, still remain in the yet unsettled parts of 
Pennsylvania, New York, and several of the Western 
States, though only relics of what was formerly a 
numerous and powerful tribe. 

The Wild Turkey, from its weight and bulky pro- 
portions, is essentially a terrestrial bird ; its food con- 
sists of the fruits of forest trees, which it searches 
17* 



198 



INSESSORES — CURSORES. 



for beneath the fallen leaves, and such berries and 
small fruits as are within the reach of its very limited 
flight. 

In the early part of the Autumn the Turkeys col- 
lect in small companies, the gobblers by themselves, 
and the old hens with their troops of young, which 
are but about half grown. They then commence to 
move about in search of fallen acorns and other 
small nuts. They travel on foot except when their 
progress is intercepted by rivers, or when surprised 
and forced to take wing by an enemy. Audubon 
says: "When they come upon a river, they betake 
themselves to the highest eminences, and there often 
remain a whole day, or sometimes two, as if for con- 
sultation. During this time, the males are heard 
gobbling, calling, and making much ado, and are 
seen strutting about as if to raise their courage to a 
pitch befitting the emergency. Even the females 
and young assume something of the same pompous 
demeanor, spread out their tails, and run round each 
other, purring loudly, and performing extravagant 
leaps. At length, when the weather appears settled, 
and all around is quiet, the whole party mounts to 
the tops of the highest trees, whence, at a signal, 
consisting of a single cluck, given by a leader, the 
flock takes flight for the opposite shore. The old 
and fat birds easily get over, even should the river 
be a mile in breadth ; but the younger and less robust 
frequently fall into the water, — not to be drowned, 
however, as might be imagined. They bring their 
wings close to thMr body, spread out their tail as a 



THE PARTRIDGES. 199 

support, stretch forward their neck, and striking out 
their legs with great vigor, proceed rapidly toward 
the shore; on approaching which, should they find 
it too steep for landing, they cease their exertions for 
a few moments, float down the stream until they 
come to an accessible part, and by a violent effort 
generally extricate themselves from the water." 

The plumage of the old males is very beautiful, 
being almost wholly of a rich golden bronze, while 
that part of the neck and head, which are mostly 
bare of feathers, and the loose skin of the throat, 
commonly called the wattle, are of different shades 
of blue, purple, and red. They lose most of these 
bright tints upon being domesticated, and after the 
second year can scarcely be distinguished from the 
common breeds. 

The Partridge family, to which we next invite 
attention, has recently been increased in number by 
the addition of several very interesting and beautiful 
species. When Alexander Wilson wrote his Orni- 
thology, his knowledge of this group was apparently 
confined to the one species which he describes. 
At a later date, when Audubon was instituting 
his inquiries among the birds of our Western Ter- 
ritories, he added three more, and still more re- 
cently three or four additional varieties have been 
discovered in the newly acquired territory of Cali- 
fornia and New Mexico. The plumage of all the 
species is plain, and the tints mostly sombre, but of 
such exquisite blendings as give them a high rank 
for beauty among the Birds of America. 



200 



INSESSORES — CURSORES. 



On the cut at the head of this Chapter we have 
figured the common American Partridge and Gam- 
ble's Partridge. Of the former species perhaps most 
persons have some knowledge. To those who reside 
in the country it is by no means a stranger, especially 
in winter, when it often frequents the barn-yard to 
assist the fowls in appropriating their feed ; while in 
summer, its clear loud call of " Bob White ! Bob, Bob 
White I" is as well-known and familiar a voice as pro- 
ceeds from the grove. There is something peculiarly 
pleasing in this love-note of the Partridge ; the clear- 
ness and distinctness with which it is uttered is sur- 
prising, and the soft, mellow tones, as they come from 
a distance, are full of such sweetness that they quite 
inspire one with a love for the bird. It really con- 
sists of three syllables instead of two; the first being 
simply an aspiration, it is not heard at any great 
distance. Audubon makes the whole read, "Ah, 
Bob White!" 

The nest of this bird is generally built at the foot 
of a tuft of grass or corn-stalks ; it is slightly sunk 
below the surface of the ground, and is composed of 
grass so arranged as to form a sort of oven, with an 
opening at one side. The number of eggs deposited 
in one nest appears to vary from fifteen to twenty- 
four. The young leave the nest immediately upon 
being freed from the shell, and follow their mother 
in search of food, and nestling under her wings in 
the same manner as a brood of young chickens; 
they generally follow her until the succeeding Spring, 



GAMBLE'S partridge. 



201 



when they are in full plumage, and capable of shift- 
ing for themselves. 

Gamble's Partridge is an inhabitant of Texas, and 
was first discovered and introduced to notice by Dr. 
William Gamble, in 1841. For beauty of plumage 
it probably far surpasses any other species. The rich 
chestnut-colored feathers which cover the sides, the 
white markings upon the face and sides of the head, 
and the singular plumes with which the head is or- 
namented, give it a very sprightly and pleasing ap- 
pearance. 

General George A. M'Call, in his " Remarks on 
the habits of Birds met with in Western Texas, be- 
tween San Antonio and the Rio Grande, and in New 
Mexico/' speaking of this bird, says : "After losing 
sight of the Massena Partridge, I did not fall in with 
the present species until we reached the Limpia river, 
about 100 miles west of the Pecos. 

"This beautiful bird, whose habits, in some re- 
spects, bear resemblance to the common Partridge, 
like that, seems to prefer a more genial and hospita- 
ble region. In this part of the country the Mus- 
quito Tree (Acacia Glandulosa) is more or less com- 
mon ; and the Musquito grass, and other plants bear- 
ing nutritious seeds, are abundant. Here, this Par- 
tridge increases rapidly in numbers, and becomes very 
fat; and, as I afterwards ascertained, is much dis- 
posed to seek the farms, if any be within reach, and 
to cultivate the acquaintance of man. About the 
Rancho of Mr. White, near El Paso, I found them 
very numerous ; and here, in flocks of fifty or a hun- 



202 



INSESSORES — CURSORES. 



dred, they resort, morning and evening, to the barn- 
yard, and feed around the grain-stacks, in company 
with the poultry, where they receive their portion, 
as it is scattered amongst them by the hand of the 
owner." * 

Of the Grouse family we number six species, only 
three of which are found to the eastward of the 
vicinity of the Mississippi river ; these are the Canada 
Grouse, found only northward from the northern 
part of New York, and the Ruffed and Pinnated 
Grouse, which are very abundant, the former every- 
where north of Maryland, and the latter pretty 
generally distributed from Texas to Canada, more 
common in the west than to the eastward. These 
two species are, probably, next to the Wild Turkey, 
the finest game-birds which our Eastern States pro- 
duce. The markets of our cities are mostly well 
supplied with them during winter ; the tenderness 
and delicacy of their flesh, and the fineness of its 
flavor, render it a great favorite with our epicures. 

The Pinnated Grouse, or Prairie Hen, as it is 
called in the West, although clad in very plain col- 
ors, is nevertheless a handsome and stately bird, es- 
pecially when, during the love season, he struts 
about among his rivals with tail erect and expanded, 
his head thrown backward, the lateral feathers on 
the neck spread to their utmost, the orange-colored 
drums beneath them swelled with air, and the wings 
stiffened and drooping in the manner of the Turkey 

* Proceedings of Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila- 
delphia, 1851. 




PRAIRIE-HEN, OR PINNATED GROUSE. 



Pasre 202. 



THE PINNATED GROUSE. 



203 



Gobbler. He is then in full dress; and his conse- 
quential attitudes and pompous manners give him 
quite an animated appearance. Companies of ten or 
twenty frequently assemble at daybreak, and perform 
these exciting manoeuvres, which mostly result in 
fiercely contested battles, in which they attack each 
other in the manner of the common game-fowl. 




Prairie Hen, or Pmnated Grouse. 

The peculiar rolling or tooting sound which it 
generally makes before sunrise, although in the un- 
settled districts it is often heard from morning till 
night, is produced by inflating to their full extent 
the bladder-like appendages above the wings, and 
then throwing the head forward, forcing it through 
the throat in distinct rolling or undulating notes. 



204 



INSESSORES — CURSORES. 



This sound, which is produced only by the male 
bird, can be heard at the distance of nearly half a 
mile. 

The nest of this Grouse is usually placed in a tuft 
of tall prairie grass, or at the foot of a clump of low 
bushes. It is composed of dry leaves and grasses, 
neatly interwoven together. The female lays about 
twelve eggs, upon which she sits eighteen or nine- 
teen days. The young leave the nest at once upon 
being hatched, and soon become quite strong and 
active. If a female and brood are surprised on the 
prairie, the latter immediately spread their little 
wings and scatter in all directions for a short dis- 
tance, when they squat so close among the grass, 
that it is next to impossible to find them. In the 
Autumn several families club together and search 
for food in company until the Spring. 

We can hardly pass from the order of Gallinae 
without taking some notice of the Ptarmigan. There 
are several species of this beautiful and singular 
bird, which are occasionally found within the United 
States, but none of them are resident, their favor- 
ite haunts being among the icy regions of the north. 
The Willow Ptarmigan has been observed, during 
Winter, in the State of Maine and also in the Rocky 
Mountains. The White-tailed Ptarmigan is likewise 
a Rocky Mountain bird. They all, however, seem 
to prefer the more northern latitude of Hudson's 
Bay and the Fur Countries as a breeding-place, only 
leaving it for the south for a short time during the 
severity of Winter. One species, the Rock Ptarmi- 



THE ROCK PTARMIGAN. 205 

gan, is found in the Rocky Mountains, in Greenland, 
Labrador, Norway, and Sweden. The plumage of 
this bird is very beautiful, and we have had occasion 
in another chapter to notice the singular change 
which it undergoes from one season to another. Dur- 




Rock Ptarmigan. 

ing Winter that of the male is of a snowy whiteness, 
with the exception of a broad band of black extend- 
ing from the base of the bill to a short distance be- 
hind the eye, and the feathers of the tail, which are 
black. As Summer advances the white changes into 
a mixture of black, reddish-yellow, and white, beau- 
tifully varied, and marked with bars, spots, and bands 
of different shades. The female differs but little 
from the male, in Summer, the markings being per- 
haps a little less distinct. 



18 



206 CURSORES 



CHAPTER XI. 

CURSORES: GBALL^E. 

RAIL — WHOOPING CRANE — PLOVERS SAND PIPERS — KILDEER 

SPOTTED SAND PIPERS SNIPE — WOODCOCK — WHITE 

IBIS ROSEATE SPOONBILL NIGHT HEBON — BITTERN- 
WHITE EGRET SNOWY HERON — AMERICAN FLAMINGO. 

In entering upon the consideration of the fifth 
order of Birds (Grallatores), the scenes through 
which our rambles lay will change materially. The 
birds we have thus far described, have, for the most 
part, led us to the fields and woods, where we have 
marked their graceful motions, flitting from tree to 
tree and from grove to grove, or with matchless ease 
winging their wild aerial course, high in the vault 
of Heaven. But those which we now come to treat 
of are mostly the denizens of low marshy grounds, 
the borders of streams and lakes, and the shores of 
the Ocean, — localities which their peculiar formation 
fits them to inhabit. With a few exceptions, a long 
bill and a pair of long legs, and a correspondingly 
long neck, are the prominent characteristics of this 
order. 

The first family which we shall notice is that of 
the Rail. These birds frequent most of the low 
grounds bordering on streams and lakes, both inland 




American Flamingo. 



(207) 



THE RAILS. 209 

and near the coast. There arc numerous varieties 
of the Rails, the most common of which arc the 
Sora Kail and the Virginia Rail. They are both 
more or less abundant, during the summer months, 
as far northward as Massachusetts, but retire to the 
Southern States and Mexico to winter. The flight 
of these birds during their migrations is swift and 
long continued, and is performed with a constant 
beating of the wings. At other times they seem to 
possess but little activity, except in the use of their 
legs ; their flight being slow and heavy, with the 
logs dangling, and seldom prolonged to any great 
distance. The Sora Rail, if pursued by the sports- 
man, after being forced to rise several times, will at 
last dive under the water and secrete itself beneath 
floating weeds, with its bill only above the surface. 
Respecting this bird Audubon says : " The most cu- 
rious habit or instinct of this species is the nicety 
of sense by which they can ascertain the last moment 
they can remain at any of the feeding grounds at 
which they tarry in Autumn. One day, you may see 
or hear the Soras in their favorite marshes, you may 
be aware of their presence in the dusk of evening; 
but when you return to the place early next morning, 
they are all gone. Yesterday the weather was mild, 
to-day it is cold and raw ; and no doubt the Soras 
were aware that a change was at hand, and secured 
themselves from its influence by a prompt movement 
under night." 

The plumage of the Rails, although plainly colored, 
is very soft and compact, particularly on the breast. 
18* o 



210 CURSORES. 

This is very observable in the Virginia Rail, the fea- 
thers forming a thick, close, and almost impervious 
covering, protecting it from the water, in which it 
not only wades to a considerable depth, but also 
swims with great ease. This bird is extremely active 
upon its feet, and upon a level run would almost be 




Rail. 

a match for a man. If pursued by a dog it will run 
for a short distance and then tack about, or will rise 
upon the wing, and with dangling legs fly some dozen 
yards or so, and then dropping among the grass, 
scamper off as fast as possible. At the approach of 
danger it will sometimes cling to the stems of the 
weeds below the surface of the water, among which 
it seems almost as much at home as when nimbly 
skipping about over the broad leaves of the Water 
Lily which abounds in our inland ponds. 

The nest of this Rail is placed on a small eleva- 
tion formed by collecting together the stalks of a 



■'mMmw'-' 




THE RAIL, OR SORA. 



Page 210. 



THE WADERS. 211 

large bunch of grasses ; in the centre of this is ar- 
ranged a quantity of dry weeds to the depth of sev- 
eral inches; upon this slight bed the eggs are depos- 
ited, generally four or five in number. The young, 
when first hatched, are covered with a soft black 
down, and soon learn to follow the hen through the 
wet meadows, and upon the sound of danger to enter 
the water fearlessly. 

The food of these birds consists of aquatic insects, 
snails, worms, Crustacea, and the seeds of various 
grasses which abound in the marshes where they re- 
side. Their habits are partially nocturnal, as they 
feed both by night and day. 

The families and species composing the order Gral- 
latores are so numerous, that it would be impossible, 
in the limits assigned to this work, to give even a 
slight glance at the habits of any considerable por- 
tion of them ; we must, therefore, passing over many 
familiar and interesting species, confine ourselves to 
some of the most prominent, and such as will most 
clearly illustrate the peculiar manners of the Waders. 

Late in the Autumn, when the chilling blasts from 
the regions of eternal snow are beginning to be felt 
in more southern latitudes, bringing with them myr- 
iads of the summer visitors to an Arctic climate, vast 
trains of ducks, geese, etc., to seek again their win- 
ter resorts beneath a milder sky, — then may be heard 
in the vicinity of our inland lakes and streams the 
harsh voice of the Whooping Cranes, as they pass 
swiftly overhead, in companies of from ten to fifty. 
While migrating they fly high in the air, but when 



212 



CURSORES. 



near the spot where they purpose to search for food, 
they gradually descend, wheeling around in circles 
over the place until they reach the ground. Here 
they present a graceful and elegant appearance, the 
old birds in particular being stately and beautiful 
objects. The plumage is mostly of a snowy white- 
ness, except the primaries and the primary coverts, 
which are nearly black. This bird is quite unknown 
as a resident or even a transient visitor in the East- 
ern and Middle States, its haunts being confined to 
the South and West. It winters as far south as Mex- 
ico, and breeds from Oregon northward to the Arctic 
regions. 

Their food consists of the roots of plants, which 
they dig up with great labor from the mud of shal- 
low ponds which have dried up during Summer; 
they also resort to the plantations of sweet potatoes, 
and dig among the hills for the few roots which may 
have been left in the ground by the farmer. They 
will also feed on small reptiles, such as frogs, toads, 
lizards, and even small snakes. 

They are said to be extremely wary birds, and very 
difficult to approach, the least rustling of leaves or 
the cracking of a stick under foot being sufficient to 
alarm them, although they may be at a considerable 
distance. Their sense of sight and hearing is so 
keen, that they will hear the approach of a hunter 
at a great distance, and will discover him long before 
he can see them. When once aware of his advances, 
no matter how cautious he may be, they will gener- 



TIIE PLOVERS. 213 

ally prove too much for him, eluding all his attempts 
to gain access to them. 

Prominent among the many attractive objects which 
may engage the attention of the young naturalist, 
while tarrying by the sea-side, are those active and 
beautiful little creatures, the Plovers and Sand Pi- 
pers. The species which frequent the whole line of 




Saud Piper. 

our sea-coast are quite numerous, and the study of 
their habits would alone afford entertainment and oc- 
cupation for nearly a whole season. See how beau- 
tiful and graceful are their motions as they course 
along the sand, stopping to examine the shells which 
the tide in its recess has left upon the beach, or fol- 
lowing the retreating breakers to pick up the minute 
shell-fish borne in by the wave. 

Among these we can hardly fail to notice the Ring 
Plover, Wilson's Plover, and the Piping Plover, — 
the latter a most beautiful, active, and lovely little 



214 



CURSORES. 



bird. It has a sweet, soft, and musical note, which 
is uttered with a somewhat deceptive effect, and is 
often heard proceeding from various quarters at the 
same time, without our being able to discover its 
source. The flight of this bird is extremely swift, 
and there are few of its kind that are fleeter of foot. 
It will run in a straight line before you with such 
speed that it requires a keen eye to follow it. The 
nest of the Piping Plover consists merely of a small 
hole scooped out of the sand, often near the base of 
a tuft of grass. The female lays four eggs, which 
are mostly hatched by the warmth of the sand, ac- 
quired by exposure to a hot sun. The female, how- 
ever, always sits upon them by night and during 
rough weather. The young leave the nest immedi- 
ately upon being released from the shell, and run 
about with great activity; and upon the approach 
of danger they squat so close to the ground, which 
they very much resemble in color, that it is difficult 
to discover them. 

Although the Plovers are generally abundant on 
all our Atlantic coasts, yet their haunts are by no 
means confined to such localities. Many which fre- 
quent the sea during the Spring, retire far inland to 
breed, and some species are seldom known upon the 
coast. Of those which inhabit our meadows and low 
grounds, we will select the Kildeer Plover, as the 
most familiar and the most beautiful. 

Almost every farm-house can boast of its pair of 
Kildeers, which may be seen skimming most grace- 
fully over the fields and meadows, repeating their 



THE KILDEER PLOVER. 215 

well-known cry of "Kildeer! Kildeer! dee, dee, 
dee!" At such times their flight is powerful and 
easy, somewhat resembling that of the smaller Hawks. 
Now and then one may be seen following in the track 




Kildeer Plover. 



of the ploughman, picking up the grubs and worms 
from the fresh soil. And again you may find him 
coursing along the shores of some running stream, 
or upon the muddy banks of a mill-pond, feeding 
upon the snails or mud-worms which abound in such 
places. Sometimes it wades into the water to wash 
and plume its coat, and laying itself down, flutters 
its wings and splashes about in great glee, until it 
becomes pretty well soaked, when it retires to a sunny 
spot to dry. 

The nest of this bird is a simple affair, being as 
a general thing merely a hollow scooped out of the 
earth, and, when in a wet situation, a few stems are 
placed around it as a protection. The eggs are four 



216 CURSORES. 

in number, and of a cream color, with markings of 
brown and black. During the period of incubation, 
and immediately after the hatching of the young, the 
old birds manifest much anxiety at the approach of 
danger. The female endeavors by the usual strata- 
gem of feigned lameness to entice the intruder away, 
while the male wheels about overhead in an excited 
manner, uttering his most earnest entreaties or his 
most angry reproofs, in hopes no doubt of averting 
the ruin of his family. 

The Kildeer is in every respect a beautiful bird. 
Whether seen at a distance, sailing or diving with 
such graceful ease through the buoyant air, or whether 
upon a nearer view we look upon the lively tints of 
his exquisite plumage, we cannot but feel that he 
too is worthy of our notice, and to become the wel- 
come companion of our rambles. 

Among the many active little Sand Pipers to be 
seen upon our coasts in the Spring and Autumn, are 
the Red-breasted Sand Piper, the Purple Sand Piper, 
the Red-backed Sand Piper, and the Semi-palmated 
Sand Piper. Let us see what we can find out in re- 
lation to some of them. Of the Red-backed Sand 
Piper Audubon says : " In Autumn and Winter, this 
species is abundant along the whole range of our 
coast, wherever the shores are sandy or muddy, from 
Maine to the mouths of the Mississippi; but I never 
found one far inland. Sometimes they collect in 
flocks of several hundred individuals, and are seen 
wheeling over the water near the shores or over the 
beaches, in beautiful order, and now and then so close 



THE PURPLE SAND PIPER. 217 

together as to afford an excellent shot, especially when 
they suddenly alight in a mass near the sportsman, 
or when, swiftly veering, they expose their lowet 
parts at the same moment. On such occasions a 
dozen or more may be killed at once, provided the 
proper moment is chosen. 

" There seems to be a kind of impatience in this 
bird that prevents it from remaining any length of 
time in the same place, and you may see it, scarcely 
alighted on a sand-bar, fly off without any apparent 
reason to another, where it settles, runs for a few 
moments, and again starts off on wing. When search- 
ing for food they run with great agility, following the 
retiring waves, and retreating as they advance; pro- 
bing the wet sands, and picking up objects from their 
surface, ever jerking up the tail, and now and then 
uttering a faint cry, pleasant to the car, and differing 
from the kind of scream which they emit while on 
wing." 

This bird appears to be an inhabitant of both con- 
tinents, and although so abundant along the coasts 
at some seasons, they appear always to retire to the 
Arctic regions to breed. 

The Purple Sand Piper frequents the Atlantic 
shores from Maine to New York during the Spring 
and Autumn, but passes the Summer in the Hudson's 
Bay country. While in the south it seems to prefer 
rocky shores to the sandy beaches. Their food con- 
sists of small shell-fish, worms, and the marine in- 
sects which abound among the drifting sea-weeds. 

The Semi-palmatcd Sand Piper is one of those spe- 
19 



218 CURSORES. 

cies whose migrations are not confined to the coast. 
Leaving Mexico in the early Spring, these birds 
spread themselves eastward along the Gulf and At- 
lantic shores, and northward by the Mississippi and 
other western rivers, making some tarriance in such 
situations as are suited to their taste or convenience, 
but gradually advancing toward the coaste of Labra- 
dor, which appear to be their favorite summer haunts ; 
some, however, remaining upon the sea-coast of the 
Middle and Southern States during the whole season. 




Spotted Sand Piper. 

The beautiful and familiar little bird, commonly 
known as the Spotted Sand Piper, does not strictly 
belong in the same family with the above-named 
species, but being very closely allied, we will notice 
it here. 

During the spring and summer months, all our 
rivers, small streams, and ponds, seem to abound with 
this active and sprightly creature. While upon the 



THE SPOTTED SAND PIPER, 



219 



ground it appears to be constantly in motion, now 
darting along the water's edge after a spider, and 
now dabbling in the mad with its bill in search of 
worms, all the while wagging its stumpy little tail in 
a most ludicrous manner; no matter in what position 
it is seen, except when flying, this perpetual motion 
of the tail is observable ; and even the young acquire 
the singular habit almost immediately upon leaving 
the shell. These little fellows also run about with 
wonderful speed, which no doubt enables them to 
escape danger with great facility. The old birds 
manifest great anxiety in protecting them, fluttering 
about with much concern at the approach of an in- 
truder, using every stratagem they are capable of to 
secure their escape. The following beautiful incident 
is related by Wilson : 

" My venerable friend, Mr. William Bartram, in- 
forms me that he saw one of these birds defend her 
young for a considerable time from the repeated at- 
tacks of a ground-squirrel. The scene of action was 
on the river shore. The parent had thrown herself, 
with her two young behind her, between them and 
the land; and at every attempt of the squirrel to 
seize them by a circuitous sweep, raised both her 
wings in an almost perpendicular position, assuming 
the most formidable appearance she was capable of, 
and rushed forward on the squirrel, who, intimi- 
dated by her boldness and manner, instantly re- 
treated ; but, presently returning, was met as before, 
in front and on flank, by the daring and affectionate 
bird, who, with her wings and whole plumage brisk 



220 



CURSORES 



ling up, seemed swelled to twice her usual size. The 
young crowded together behind her, apparently sen- 
sible of their perilous situation, moving backward 
and forward as she advanced or retreated. This in- 
teresting scene lasted for at least ten minutes ; the 
strength of the poor parent began evidently to flag, 
and the attacks of the squirrel became more daring 
and frequent, when my good friend stepped forward 
from his retreat, drove the assailant back to his hole, 
and rescued the innocent from destruction." 

Two of the commonest and best -known birds 
among the Grallatores are probably the Snipe and 
the Woodcock. Renowned among the gunners as 
affording the rarest and most exciting sport, and nc 




Snipe. 



less renowned among the gastronomes of our cities, 
who love better to indulge their appetites over a well- 
cooked brace of either, than to apply their energies 
to the doubtful and difficult task of obtaining them. 



THE WOODCOCK. 221 

The Snipe is familiar only as a transient visitor 
during Spring and Autumn, its summer haunts being 
among the cold countries of the north, where it 
raises its brood and returns to pass the Winter in the 
south. 

The Woodcock is a summer resident in the North- 
ern, Eastern, and Middle States, where it is a very 
abundant species, frequenting the low grounds and 
swampy woods of almost every neighborhood. This 
fact would perhaps be disputed by some in conse- 
quence of their not being aware that the habits of 
the bird are nocturnal, and would not therefore meet 
the eye of most, unless accidentally disturbed. The 
early twilight is the signal for the Woodcocks to re 
tire to their cover, and the approach of dusk to sally 
forth in quest of food ; this consists of earth-worms, 
which they obtain by probing the soft mire with their 
bills, through which they appear to suck them up 
without withdrawing their bills from the mud, in the 
manner of the Curlews and some other water birds. 
They will sometimes resort to the woodland and 
scratch among the dry leaves for the worms which 
are often secreted there ; but this probably is only 
during hot weather, when the marshy places are 
partly dry, and the supply of food less abundant. 

Neither in respect to form nor general appearance 
can the Woodcock lay claim to beauty or grace. The 
markings of its plumage are indeed very delicate, 
but the contrasts of color are less pleasing than in 
many of its associates. The head, which is rather a 
shapeless affair, has the appearance of being a con- 
19* 



222 CURSORES. 

stant burden, and the eyes, which are large, are 
placed so high up as to give it quite a singular look ; 
but these peculiarities, no doubt, assist it in its noc- 
turnal rambles, the large eye admitting more light, 
and its elevated position commanding a greater range 
of vision. Thus, it can discover with greater ease 
the approach of an enemy, and while flying over its 
favorite feeding grounds, can more readily select a 
spot suited to its tastes. 

The nest of this bird is loosely built of dry leaves 
and grass, and generally placed at the foot of some 
low bush, or by the side of a prostrate log, in the 
darkest and most secluded part of the woods. The 
eggs are mostly four, and are of a clayish-colored 
ground, with irregular patches of brown and purple 
thickly sprinkled over the surface. The young com- 
mence to run about as soon as hatched, and so rapid 
is their growth, that at the age of six weeks they are 
almost as active on the wing as their parents. 

The next family of the Waders which we shall no- 
tice, is that of the Ibis; of this group we number 
four species, one of which, the richly-colored Scarlet 
Ibis, is a very doubtful resident among us, as a few 
only have ever been seen in the country, and it seems 
likely that its occurrence among us has been purely 
accidental, as it is evidently a native of a warm 
Southern climate. It appears to be quite plentiful 
in the West India Islands, and in the Bahamas, 
which are no doubt its natural haunts. 

The White Ibis inhabits the southern parts of 
Florida, where it is resident. In Summer, some in- 



THE WHITE IBIS. 223 

dividuals have been seen as far north as New Jersey, 
but it may be considered rare north of the Carolinas. 
On some of the islands at the southern extremity of 
Florida these birds congregate in great numbers to 
breed. Their nests are placed on the low shrubbery 
or trees, and are sometimes very close together, Au- 
dubon having counted forty-seven on a single plum- 
tree. 

Respecting some of its habits we quote the follow- 
ing from the above-named author : " The flight of 
the White Ibis is rapid and protracted. Like all 
other species of the genus, these birds pass through 
the air with alternate flappings and sailings; and I 
have thought that the use of either mode depended 
upon the leader of the flock ; for, with the most per- 
fect regularity, each individual follows the motions 
of that preceding it, so that a constant appearance of 
regular undulations is produced through the whole 
line. If one is shot at this time, the whole line is 
immediately broken up, and for a few minutes all is 
disorder; but as they continue their course, they soon 
resume their former arrangement. The wounded bird 
never attempts to bite or to defend itself in any man- 
ner, although, if only winged, it runs off with such 
speed as often to escape the pursuer. 

" At other times the White Ibis, like the Red and 
the Wood Ibises, rises to a great height in the air, 
where it performs beautiful evolutions. After they 
have thus, as it were, amused themselves for some 
time, they glide down with astonishing speed, and 
alight either on trees or on the ground. Should the 



224 CURSORES. 

sun be shining, they appear in their full beauty, and 
the glossy black tips of their wings form a fine con- 
trast with the yellowish white of the rest of their 
plumage. 

" The manner in which this bird searches for its 
food is very curious. The Woodcock and the Snipe, 
it is true, are probers as well as it, but their task 
requires less ingenuity than is exercised by the White 
or Red Ibis. It is also true that the White Ibis fre- 
quently seizes on small crabs, slugs, and snails, and 
even at times on flying insects ; but its usual mode 
of procuring food is a strong proof that cunning en- 
ters as a principal ingredient in its instinct. The 
cray-fish often burrows to the depth of three or four 
feet in dry weather, for before it can be comfortable 
it must reach the water. This is generally the case 
during the prolonged heats of Summer, at which time 
the White Ibis is most pushed for food. The bird, 
to procure the cray-fish, walks with remarkable care 
toward the mounds of mud which the latter throws 
up in forming its hole, and breaks up the upper part 
of the fabric, dropping the fragments into the deep 
cavity that has been made by the animal. Then the 
Ibis retires a single step, and patiently waits the re- 
sult. The cray-fish, incommoded by the load of 
earth, instantly sets to work anew, and at last reaches 
the entrance of its burrow; but the moment it comes 
in sight, the Ibis seizes it with his bill." 

In the localities where the Ibis abounds may also 
be seen the graceful form and beautiful colors of that 
singular bird, the lloseate Spoonbill. It is much to 



THE ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 



225 



be regretted that so many of the most beautiful water 
birds should be confined in their rambles to the south- 
ern extremity of our country. How nicely would 
this noble and elegant bird decorate the Fauna of our 
Northern and Middle States ! It is not likely, how- 
ever, that any are to be found much to the northward 




Roseate Spoonbill. 



Night Heron. 



of the lower parts of Georgia; its principal haunts 
being near the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and 
the extensive bayous and inlets which abound in the 
vicinity. Let us imagine ourselves upon one of those 
beautiful islands or keys which skirt the southern 



226 CURSORES. 

coast of the Evergreen State. Amidst a dense growth 
of Cactus, with its sharp and rigid spines everywhere 
menacing our steps ; a wide-spread expanse of water 
is before us, whose surface is as lovely and tranquil 
as the sky that overshadows it ; here and there the 
tall stems of the graceful palm-trees are reflected 
upon its bosom. In this secluded spot the sight of a 
flock of these birds may frequently be enjoyed, and, 
if well concealed from their view, we may study 
their manners at our leisure. Standing with their 
wings partly extended, in the bright rays of the sun 
they present a beautiful spectacle, the deep roseate 
tints upon the sides and upon the wings being then 
displayed to the finest advantage. Behold them mov- 
ing about, with measured tread and stately attitude, 
upon the muddy shore, or wading into the shallows 
to search for food. Here their broad spoon-like bills 
are brought into energetic action. Thrusting the 
head and sometimes the neck into the water or mire, 
and seizing upon the various small shell-fish, insects, 
and other water animals, they literally chew them up 
with their powerful bills before swallowing them. 
After feeding awhile, they will all indulge in a wild 
sally into the free air, ascending sometimes to a con- 
siderable height, moving about in the most graceful 
manner, crossing and recrossing each other, and per- 
forming a great variety of interesting aerial evolu- 
tions ; then the whole flock suddenly return to their 
feeding grounds, plunging through the air with great 
power and speed.- 

Associated with the Spoonbills will be found a great 



THE NIGHT nERON. 



227 



variety of another class of Waders, called Herons, 
which are not only much more abundant, but more 
widely distributed, — many of the species extending 
their migrations as far to the north as the State of 
Maine. Among those with which our readers are 
most likely to be familiar, are the Night Heron, or 
Qua-Bird, the Bittern, the Great White Egret, and 
the Snowy Heron, or Little Egret. A full-plumaged 
male Night Heron is unquestionably a beautiful bird. 
Standing about two feet in height, its head crowned 
with a loose, flowing crest of elongated feathers of a 
shining green of the deepest shade, from the centre 
of which project three slender feathers, pure white, 
and about eight inches in length, each having its 
edges so rolled up as to make it a perfect tube. The 
upper part of the back and the scapulars are of a 
deep blackish green, the wings grey, with a shade of 
lilac. The throat is pure white, which gradually 
shades into a light cream color upon the breast and 
whole lower parts. 

Except during the breeding season, this is a shy 
and wary bird, and extremely difficult to approach. 
While a flock is engaged in feeding, one of their 
number acts as sentinel, to give the alarm at the 
least sound of danger. This is a common practice 
with many birds of this class, and it is said that the 
Spoonbills feed with great confidence when in com- 
pany with Herons, taking warning at the voice of 
their sentinel. The Night Heron may be examined 
at leisure, and even shot in great numbers, by secre- 
ting oneself near the spot where they regularly roost 



228 



CURSORES. 



by day. Here, as they arrive singly or a few at a 
time, a good opportunity is afforded the naturalist 
to study some of their habits. In the selection of a 
breeding place, they generally assemble in small com- 
panies of from twenty to fifty, and appropriate a 
clump of cedars, cypress, or mangrove, according 
to the locality which they inhabit, where their nests 
sometimes crowd the branches to within a few feet 
of the ground. These Heronries are mostly upon 
the borders of some stagnant pools or in the vicinity 
of cedar, cypress, and other swamps, as well as upon 
the shores of those sea-islands which are covered 
with evergreens. The nests are large, and irregu- 
larly formed of sticks placed one above another, to 
the height of a few inches; their structure is some- 
times so slight as to tumble to pieces before the young 
are fit to fly. These birds, when once in possession 
of a breeding place suited to their tastes, will return 
to it annually, and repair the old nests, until circum- 
stances force them to abandon it.* 

The Great White Egret is another of those elegant 
and stately birds with which our water scenery is 
often beautified. Along the banks of our great riv- 
ers, and sometimes of our smaller streams and mill- 
ponds, groups of these fairy-looking creatures may 
frequently be seen, wading at their leisure among 
the tall reeds and other plants which abound in the 
shallow water. Here, with untiring patience, they 
move about slowly and cautiously, awaiting the ap- 
pearance of some unlucky fish, or water animals of 

* Audubon. 



THE GREAT WHITE EGRET. 



229 



almost any kind. If it is possible to approach them 
sufficiently near to observe their motions while thus 
occupied, we shall hardly fail to be gratified with the 
sight. Here is one fine fellow, standing over three 
feet and a half in height. He has straightened up 
his tall and graceful figure to its full extent, and is 
looking around suspiciously, but not observing any 
danger, he composes himself to his work. What a 
noble bird ! His plumage, of snowy whiteness, fairly 
glistens in the sun's rays ; and the long, flowing 
plumes, which form a train of exquisite delicacy, are 
waving in the gentle breeze. Now with silent watch- 
fulness he intently eyes the quiet water, his neck 
curved so as to bring the head to rest above the 
shoulders. In this position he stands motionless as 
a statue, engaged either in quietly contemplating 
what is going on around him, or perhaps in watch- 
ing for fresh game. Let us now apprise them that 
we are too near for their convenience. Suddenly the 
whole troop spread their broad wings, and in the 
most majestic manner move slowly away. For a long 
distance we can watch them ; their heads drawn in 
to the shoulders, the long legs extended to their ut- 
most in the rear, like a rudder, and their ample wings 
beating the air in slow and measured strokes. This 
showy bird appears to inhabit the whole line of the 
Atlantic States as far as Massachusetts, confining 
itself principally to the vicinity of those waters which 
flow toward the sea, seldom, if ever, being found very 
far in the interior. 

The Little Egret, or Snowy Heron, is another of 
20 



230 



CURSORES. 



those birds which are always conspicuous for the per- 
fect whiteness of their plumage j but of all the spe- 
cies, this is probably gifted with a coat of the most 

delicate and beauti- 

^ ^ ful texture. The 

head is ornamented 
with a long, flow- 
ing crest, composed 
of fine thread-like 
plumes. Upon the 
lower part of the 
neck the feathers 
are lengthened, and 
hang down in what 
might be called a 
loose beard-like tuft, 
while from the up- 
per part of the back 
proceed a number of 
long slender plumes 
of lace-like delicacy, extending over the rump and 
turning upward at the extremity, the fine filaments 
hanging from the shafts like the hair from the tail 
of a bobtailed horse. 

This beautiful bird seems to give the preference to 
the salt marshes, which line the coast from Maine to 
Florida. Here, during the breeding season, they are 
generally abundant; and, as is the custom of the 
Herons, their nests are clustered together in commu- 
nities of greater or less numbers, according to cir- 
cumstances. In New Jersey, the cedars which gen- 




Snowy Heron. 



THE AMERICAN FLAMINGO 



231 



erally skirt the low grounds near the shore, are se- 
lected as their resort. The nests are placed some- 
times two or three upon the same tree, but seldom 
more. In whatever position they build, it is said 
that the nests always front the water, and very often 
overhang it. These communities seem very social in 
their disposition, living upon good terms with the 
Night Herons, Green Herons, and Grakles which 
have their nests near by. 

We cannot close our notices of the Grallatores with- 
out a brief description of that gorgeously plumaged 
bird, the American Flamingo. Although extremely 
rare, and seldom seen within our territory except 
upon the most southern extremity of Florida, and 
upon the little islands which skirt its coast, it seems 
entitled to a place among those which annually visit us 
from the south. 

This elegant bird is about four feet in height, and 
is wholly of a bright scarlet color, with the exception 
of the primaries and a part of the secondaries, which 
are black. Its habits are very similar to those of the 
Waders in general; its flight consists of alternate sail- 
ing and flapping of the wings, the neck and legs be- 
ing both extended to the utmost. The nest of the 
Flamingo is a curious structure; it is built in the 
midst of the shallow water of some salt-pond, the 
mud being heaped up into a pile about two or three 
feet high, on the top of which a hollow is scooped 
out, where the female lays two white eggs about the 
size of those of a goose. In covering the eggs dur- 
ing incubation, she is obliged to stand with one foot 



232 



CURSORES. 



in the water, her body being supported by the nest. 
The Flamingo, like its neighbors the Herons, is ex- 
ceedingly shy and difficult to approach ; when moving 
over the water, it generally flies low, but upon near- 
ing land, unless its purpose is to alight, it imme- 
diately ascends to a considerable height, as though 
to escape danger. We clip the following from Audu- 
bon's notes respecting this bird : 

" On the 7th of May, 1832, while sailing from In- 
dian Key, one of the numerous islets that skirt the 
southeastern coast of the Peninsula of Florida, I for 
the first time saw a flock of Flamingoes. It was on 
the afternoon of one of those sultry days which, in 
that portion of the country, exhibit toward evening 
the most glorious effulgence that can be conceived. 
The sun, now far advanced toward the horizon, still 
shone with full splendor, the ocean around glittered 
in its quiet beauty, and the light fleecy clouds that 
here and there spotted the heavens, seemed flakes of 
snow margined with gold. Our bark was propelled 
almost as if by magic, for scarcely was a ripple raised 
by her bows as we moved in silence. Far away to 
seaward we spied a flock of Flamingoes advancing 
in ' Indian line' with well-spread wings, outstretched 
necks, and long legs directed backward. Ah ! reader, 
could you but know the emotions that then agitated 
my breast ! I thought I had now reached the height 
of all my expectations, for my voyage to the Floridas 
was undertaken in a great measure for the purpose 
of studying these lovely birds in their own beautiful 
islands. I followed them with my eyes, watching as 



THE AMERICAN FLAMINGO. 23S 

it were every beat of their wings ; and as they were 
rapidly advancing toward us, Captain D. A. Y., who 
was aware of my anxiety to procure some, had every 
man stowed away out of sight, and our gunners in 
readiness. The pilot, Mr. Egan, proposed to offer the 
first taste of his ' groceries' to the leader of the band. 
He was a first-rate shot, and had already killed many 
Flamingoes. The birds were now, as I thought, 
within a hundred and fifty yards; when suddenly, to 
our extreme disappointment, their chief veered away, 
and was of course followed by the rest. Mr. Egan, 
however, assured us that they would fly round the 
Key, and alight not far from us, in less than ten 
minutes ; which in fact they did, although to me these 
minutes seemed almost hours. 'Now they come/ 
said the pilot; i keep low.' This we did ; but, alas ! 
the Flamingoes were all, as I suppose, very old and 
experienced birds, with the exception of one ; for on 
turning round the lower end of the Key, they spied 
our boat, again sailed away without flapping their 
wings, and alighted about four hundred yards from 
us, and upward of one hundred from the shore, on 
a 'soap-flat' of vast extent, where neither boat nor 
man could approach them." 



20 



234 



NATAT0RE8, 



CHAPTER XII, 



NATATORES. 



AMERICAN SWAN — MALLARD DUCK — WOOD DUCK — CANVASS- 
BACK — EIDER AND LONG-TAIL DUCK — HOODED MERGANSEK 
ARCTIC TERN — GULLS — PETREL. 

The Natatores comprises a large variety of Geese, 
Swans, Ducks, Gulls, Tern, and all other web-footed 
birds, except the Flamingo, which, notwithstanding 
it has this peculiarity, we have placed among the 
Grallatores, its habits and manners, and general ap- 
pearance, agreeing more nearly with them than with 
the Natatores. It, however, appears to be a connect- 
ing link between the two, the form of the bill and 
the mode of feeding being similar to that of the 
Duck tribe ; while its long legs, stately attitude, its 
wading propensities, and other prominent character- 
istics, must ever associate it with the Heron and 
other kindred families. 

The limits of this work will not admit of our en- 
tering into any very extensive description of the 
many beautiful and interesting objects which will 
present themselves to our view as we examine the 
field before us. Without intending to slight our 
web-footed friends, we shall therefore select for de- 
scription a few honest representatives from the various 



THE CANADA GOOSE 



235 



families which compose the order, giving slight no- 
tices to others as occasion may offer. 

We will commence with the Canada Goose, a very 
abundant species in the Northern, Middle, and 
Western States, at some seasons of the year. During 




Canada Goose. 

Summer, these birds seek the more remote district 
of Labrador, where they breed, — returning, however, 
at the first approach of cold, and distributing them- 
selves throughout a vast extent of country to the 
southward during Winter. 

The habits of this bird are quite interesting, and 



236 



N AT ATORES 



from a most graphic description of them given by 
Audubon, we glean the following particulars : 

" The general spring migrations of the Canada 
Goose maybe stated to commence with the first melt- 
ing of the snows in our Middle and Western dis- 
tricts, or from the 20th of March to the end of April; 
but the precise time of its departure is always deter- 
mined by the advance of the season ; and the vast 
flocks that winter in the great savannas or swampy 
prairies southwest of the Mississippi, such as exist 
in the Opelousas, on the borders of the Arkansas 
river, or in the dismal 'Everglades' of the Floridas, 
are often seen to take their flight, and steer their 
course northward, a month earlier than the first of 
the above-mentioned periods. 

" It is my opinion that all the birds of this species, 
which leave our States and Territories each Spring 
for the distant north, pair before they depart. This, 
no doubt, necessarily results from the nature of their 
place of summer residence, where the genial season 
is so short as scarcely to afford them sufficient time 
for bringing up their young and renewing their plu- 
mage, before the rigors of advancing Winter force 
them to commence their flight toward milder coun- 
tries. This opinion is founded on the following 
facts: — I have frequently observed large flocks of 
Geese, in ponds or marshy grounds, or even on dry 
sand-bars, the mated birds renewing their courtships 
as early as the month of January, while the other 
individuals would be contending or coquetting for 
hours every day, until they all seemed satisfied with 






THE CANADA GOOSE. 237 

the choice they had made; after which, although 
they remained together, any person could easily per- 
ceive that they were careful to keep in pairs. 

" Such are the conflicts of these ardent lovers, and 
so full of courage and of affection toward their fe- 
males are they, that the approach of a male invaria- 
bly ruffles their tempers as well as their feathers. No 
sooner has the goose laid her first egg, than her bold 
mate stands almost erect by her side, watching even 
the rustling sound of the breeze. The least noise 
brings from him a sound of anger. Should he spy 
a raccoon making its way among the grass, he walks 
up to him undauntedly, hurls a vigorous blow at him, 
and drives him instantly away. Nay, I doubt if man 
himself, unarmed, would come off unscathed in such 
an encounter. 

" The Canada Goose is less shy when met with far 
inland, than when on the sea-coast. They usually 
feed in the manner of swans and fresh water ducks, 
that is, by plunging their heads toward the bottom 
of shallow ponds or the borders of lakes and rivers, 
immersing their fore parts, and frequently exhibiting 
their legs and feet with the posterior portion of their 
body elevated in the air. They never dive on such 
occasions. Wherever you find them, and however 
remote from the haunts of man the place may be, 
they are at all times so vigilant and suspicious, that 
it is extremely rare to surprise them. In keenness 
of sight and acuteness of hearing, they are perhaps 
surpassed by no bird whatever. They act as senti- 
nels toward each other, and during the hours at which 



NAT A TORES. 



the flock reposes, one or more ganders stand on the 
watch. At the sight of cattle, horses, or animals of 
the deer kind, they are seldom alarmed, but a bear 
or a cougar is instantly announced ; and if on such 
occasions the flock is on the ground near water, the 
birds immediately betake themselves in silence to the 
latter, swim to the middle of the pond or river, and 
there remain until danger is over. So acute is their 
sense of hearing, that they are able to distinguish 
the different sounds or footsteps of their foes with 
astonishing accuracy. Thus the breaking of a dry 
stick by a deer is at once distinguished from the same 
accident occasioned by a man. If a dozen of large 
turtles drop into the water, making a great noise in 
their fall, or if the same effect is produced by an 
alligator, the Wild Goose pays no regard to it; but 
however faint and distant may be the sound of an 
Indian's paddle, that may by accident have struck 
the side of his canoe, it is at once marked, every in- 
dividual raises its head and looks intently toward 
the place from which the noise has proceeded, and 
in silence all watch the movements of their enemy." 
Of the Swan family we have two species, the 
American Swan and the Trumpeter Swan. The lat- 
ter appears to be exclusively a western species, being 
most abundant in the vicinity of the Mississippi, Mis- 
souri, and other western rivers, during Winter, and 
breeding from California northward to the fur coun- 
tries. The American Swan is found in Winter along 
the Atlantic coasts, sometimes in considerable num- 
bers, particularly in Chesapeake Bay, but appears tc 



THE AMERICAN SWAN 



239 



be scarce south of this, its principal haunts being to 
the northward. During the summer months the 
shores of the Polar Sea afford it a safe retreat, where 
it may rear its young in comparative safety 




American Swan. 



The flight of these birds is powerful and rapid, 
and is often prolonged to a wonderful extent. Dur- 
ing their migrations they soar to a great height, over- 
topping the mountains, and seldom pause during the 
journey between our latitude and the place of their 
summer abode, except when their progress is impeded 
by a storm, above the region of which they mostly 
travel. They always advance in small flocks in the 
shape of a V, the leader being at the point. When 
they arrive at the place of their destination, which 
is generally at night, they occupy themselves at once 
in making amends for their long abstinence from food, 
and join in a wild chorus of congratulations which 
almost makes the shores ring. While feeding, or dur- 



240 NATATORES. 

ing the operation of dressing and arranging their 
plumage, they are apt to be. very noisy, their notes 
varying much from high to low, according to circum- 
stances. But so vigilant are they, that upon the least 
note of alarm from the sentinel all is immediately 
quiet, and they move noiselessly away from the scene 
of danger. 




Mallard Duck. 

Of the Duck tribe we have a large number of spe- 
cies, many of them possessed of beautiful plumage 
and interesting habits. Quite prominent among these 
is the Common Mallard, with its stately head of rich 
golden green, and back and breast and wings of va- 
ried shades of brown and blue and black and white. 
From this fine bird has sprung many of the races 
of Domestic Ducks which are now dispersed over the 
country. But in his wild state he bears so little re- 
semblance to his degenerate progeny, that one would 
scarcely recognize his connection with it. The Mai- 



THE MALLARD DUCK. 



241 



lard is found in most parts of the country during the 
winter season, except in the Eastern States. Audu- 
bon says they " generally arrive in Kentucky and 
other parts of the western country [from the north], 
from the middle of September to the first of October, 
or as soon as the acorns and beech-nuts are fully ripe 
In a few days they are to be found in all the ponds 
that are covered with seed-bearing grasses. Some 
flocks, which appear to be guided by an experienced 
leader, come directly down on the water with a rust- 
ling sound of their wings, that can be compared only 
to the noise produced by an Eagle in the act of stoop- 
ing upon its prey; while other flocks, as if they felt 
uneasy respecting the safety of the place, sweep 
around and above it several times in perfect silence, 
before they alight. In either case, the birds imme- 
diately bathe themselves, beat their bodies with their 
wings, dive by short plunges, and cut so many capers 
that you might imagine them to be stark mad. They 
wash themselves and arrange their dress, before com- 
mencing their meal ; and in this, other travellers would 
do well to imitate them. 

"Now, toward the grassy margins they advance in 
straggling parties. See how they leap from the water 
to bend the loaded tops of the tall reeds. Woe be 
to the slug or snail that comes in their way. Some 
are probing the mud beneath, and waging war against 
the leech, frog, or lizard that is within reach of their 
bills ; while many of the older birds run into the 
woods, to fill their crops with beech-nuts and acorns, 
not disdaining to swallow also, should they come in 
21 Q 



242 



N ATATORES, 



their way, some of the wood-mice that, frightened by 
the approach of the foragers, hie toward their bur- 
rows. The cackling they keep up would almost deafen 
you, were you near them, but it is suddenly stopped 
by the approach of some unusual enemy, and at once 
all are silent." 

During the autumn months our inland streams and 
lakes mostly abound with many varieties of Ducks, 
of forms and degrees of beauty as numerous as their 
species. We would gladly give our readers a full 
description of these bright wanderers, but our limits 
will allow only of a few remarks respecting most of 
them, while with some of the most interesting we 
may spend more time. 




Wood Duck. 



We have already become a little acquainted with 
the Mallard, both as the occupant of our private 
duck-ponds, and also as a denizen of the free air; 
let us now see if we cannot find something to inter- 



THE WOOD DUCK 



243 



est us in that model of beauty of its kind, the Com- 
mon Summer or Wood Duck. This is one of the few 
species which remain within the limits of the States 
throughout the year, much the larger proportion re- 
tiring to the "far north" to breed. The Summer 
Duck is certainly one of the most elegant of its tribe; 
its plumage being richly glossed with green and gold, 
and purple and black, in some places mottled with 
white, or finely barred with black and fawn. The 
head presents a fine appearance, surmounted by a 
long crest of green, and the cheeks beautifully marked 
with black and white. It appears to be widely spread 
over the whole extent of the country, from Louisiana 
to Maine, and westward some distance up the Mis- 
souri river. Within these limits it may almost be 
said to be a constant resident. It generally builds 
its nest in a hollow tree, frequently in the deserted 
hole of a large Woodpecker, giving the preference to 
such trees as are near the water, or which overhang 
pools or marshes. The number of eggs which the 
female deposits varies much ; . Audubon says from six 
to fifteen ; Wilson speaks of a nest containing thir- 
teen. It is a singular fact, according to the first- 
named author, that upon the female having completed 
her number of eggs, she is at once deserted by the 
male, who, joining with a few others, roams about 
until the young are able to fly, when the old and 
young unite in one flock, and remain together until 
another season comes round. 

The Green and the Blue-winged Teal are also two 
handsome Ducks, but are only known to us as tran 



244 



NAT ATORE S. 



sient visitors in the spring and autumn months, tho 
cold regions of the fur countries being their usual 
place of resort during Summer. 

The Canvass-back is the famous Duck which is 
generally considered by epicures as the finest of all 
the Duck family, — its flesh being thought to possess 
a peculiarly agreeable flavor, which no other fowl can 
claim. The most common winter resort of these cele- 
brated Ducks is the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers 
and streams belonging to it, such as the Susquehanna, 
Fatapsco, Potomac, and James rivers. Here they 
sometimes assemble in flocks of such great numbers 
as to cover the surface of the water for acres in ex- 
tent, and when they rise suddenly the noise of their 
wings resembles thunder. The abundance of their 
favorite food (a species of Valisneria), a grass-like 
plant which grows to the height of a few feet above 
the water, the roots of which seem to form their main 
sustenance, is evidently the great attraction for these 
birds, as of later years their numbers appear to have 
decreased, while at the same time the plant has be- 
come less abundant. These Ducks are often seen 
feeding in company with several other species, such 
as the Black-headed Duck, the Widgeon and the Red- 
headed Duck. They all appear to live upon the same 
plant; the Canvass-back and the Black-head diving 
to obtain the roots, while the Widgeon and the Red- 
head prefer the leaves. The Canvass-back has also 
been found on the waters of the Hudson, and upon 
some of the western rivers; but its chief winter 




CANVAS-BACK DUCK. 



Page 244. 



THE EIDER DUCK. 



245 



haunts are to the southward, while its summer life 
is passed far away to the north. 

Leaving the Canvass-backs in company with the 
Ring-necks and Ruddy Ducks, the beautiful Bird 
Duck, and the Velvet Duck, with its coating of black, 
we pass on to the well-known Eider Duck. This 





:==s$^ 



Eider Duck. 



elegant bird, which inhabits the northern portions 
of both continents, must, for various reasons, be 
looked upon with great interest by the student of 
Nature; and the value of its down, as a promoter of 
ease and comfort, must claim for it equal celebrity 
with the Canvass-back. In some localities their nests 
are usually built upon rocky precipices which over- 
hang the ocean, and are lined with the soft down 
which the female plucks from her breast. In those 
countries where this down is collected as an article 
of commerce, in order to increase the quantity pro- 
duced in one season, the nest is deprived of its eggs 
21* 



246 



NATATORES 



as well as the down j the female again plucks her 
bosom, and lays a fresh complement of eggs, which 
are also taken ; a third time she makes the effort to 
raise a brood, when the male sometimes assists in 
lining the nest by taking the down from his own 
breast. This brood they are allowed to raise, for, if 
their hopes of progeny are entirely destroyed, they 
will abandon the place ; whereas, if once attached to 
a spot, they return to it year after year with their 
young. 

The Eider Duck is seldom found south of the 
vicinity of New York. Further north and to the 
eastward as far as the bay of Fundy, it becomes more 
abundant ; and to Labrador thousands of pairs, it is 
said, annually resort to breed and spend the short 
Summer. Respecting their habits in these countries, 
Audubon says : " In Labrador, the Eider Ducks be- 
gin to form their nests about the last week of May. 
Some resort to islands scantily furnished with grass, 
near the tufts of which they construct their nests ; 
others form them beneath the spreading boughs of 
the stunted firs, and in such places, five, six, or even 
eight, are sometimes found beneath a single bush. 
Many are placed on the sheltered shelvings of rocks 
a few feet above high-water mark, but none at any 
considerable elevation; at least none of my party, 
including the sailors, found any in such a position. 
The nest, which is sunk as much as possible into the 
ground, is formed of sea-weeds, mosses, and dried 
twigs, so matted and interlaced as to give the appear- 
ance of neatness to the central cavity, which rarely 



THE EIDER DUCK. 247 

exceeds seven inches in diameter. In the beginning 
of June the eggs are deposited, the male attending 
upon the female the whole time. The eggs, which 
are regularly placed on the moss and weeds of the 
nest, without any down, are generally from five to 
seven, three inches in length, two inches and one- 
eighth in breadth, being thus much larger than those 
of the Domestic Duck, of a regular oval form, 
smooth-shelled, and of a uniform pale olive-green. 
When the full complement of eggs has been laid, 
she begins to pluck some down from the lower parts 
of her body; this operation is daily continued for 
some time, until the roots of the feathers, as far for- 
ward as she can reach, are quite bare, and as clean 
as a wood from which the undergrowth has been 
cleared away. This down she disposes beneath and 
around the eggs. When she leaves the nest to go 
in search of food, she places it over the eggs ; and in 
this manner, it may be presumed to keep up their 
warmth, although it does not always ensure their 
safety, for the Black-backed Gull is apt to remove 
the covering, and suck or otherwise destroy the eggs. 
The care which the mother takes of her young for 
two or three weeks, cannot be exceeded. She leads 
them gently in a close flock in shallow waters, where, 
by diving, they procure food; and, at times, when 
the young are fatigued, and at some distance from 
the shore, she sinks her body in the water, and re- 
ceives them on her back, where they remain several 
minutes." 

The Long-tailed Duck is another beautiful species 



248 



NATATORES. 



which breeds away to the northward, and visits us in 
great numbers during Winter, being found almost 
everywhere on the Atlantic coast. They are a noisy, 
lively species, and owing to their reiterated cries, 
they have been called " Noisy Ducks ; " they have, 
however, other names applied to them, such as " Old 
Wives" and "Old Squaws." 




Hooded Merganser. 

With the Hooded Merganser we must close our 
brief notices of the Ducks. This showy and elegant 
bird is more an inhabitant of our western and 
southern waters than of the eastern coast. It can- 
not then be said to be an abundant species in Penn- 
sylvania. It breeds along the Mississippi, the Ohio, 
and the great Lakes, as well as further northward, 
and during Winter it is said sometimes to retire as 
far southward as Mexico. The plumage of this bird 
is indeed very beautiful. The thick, flat, tufted crest 
which covers the whole head, and much resembles a 



THE PELICAN. 249 

hood, gives it a sprightly and animated appearance. 
This crest, together with the whole head, neck, breast, 
and upper part of the back, are singularly marked 
with black and pure white, which is well contrasted 
with the rich brown of the sides and flanks. The 
female is a much plainer bird, but not without some 
claims to beauty. 

Like the Common Wood Duck, the Merganser 
seems to prefer placing its nest in some hollow tree, 
to building, as most other species do, upon the ground. 
The eggs are deposited on a bed of dried weeds, 
feathers, and some down from the breast of the bird . 
When the young are hatched, they are conveyed to 
the water by the parent, who gently takes them in 
her bill, and removes them one by one to their favorite 
element. Here she leads them among the tall grass 
and weeds, and teaches them to procure the snails 
and insects that come within reach. The Hooded 
Merganser is an expert diver, and in this way often 
escapes the sportsman's gun, plunging, almost in a 
twinkling, below the surface', on the first intimation 
of danger. 

With the name of the Pelican most of our readers 
are familiar, while with its appearance they may be 
wholly unacquainted. The American White Pelican, 
which Audubon is pleased to style a " splendid bird," 
but which is quite too awkward to merit that term, 
is rarely seen in the middle districts, while to the 
north and west and south it seems to be more com- 
mon. According to Dr. Richardson,* it is abundani 

* Author of "Fauna Boreali Americana." 



250 



NATATORER 



in the fur countries, flying about in dense flocks all 
Summer. To these parts, and to the Rocky Mountain 
districts, it mostly resorts for the purpose of breed- 
ing, — its winter quarters extending southward from 
Carolina to Texas, along the coasts as well as inland. 
The plumage of this bird is quite white, except a 
portion of each wing, which is nearly black. From 
the back part of the head hangs a short crest of loose 
feathers. This crest, together with a tuft of feathers 
on the breast, is of a pale yellow color, as is also the 
pouch which hangs from the lower mandible. The 
upper mandible is armed at a short distance from the 
extremity with a sharp bony process, which occupies 
about one-fourth its length. The Pelicans are apt to 
assemble in flocks of considerable size, and resort to 
the same feeding ground, where they will arrange 
themselves on the margin of some sand-bar, pluming 
themselves, and preparing for the coming meal. Dur- 
ing this time, should one of them gape, all, as if by 
sympathy, open their long and broad mandibles, 
yawning lazily and ludicrously. At length hunger 
compels their return to the water. With awkward 
gait they waddle along as though they were out of 
their element ; but when they reach the water's edge 
they seem like other creatures. How beautifully do 
they float upon the surface as they arrange themselves 
for their work ! The following paragraph from Au- 
dubon shows their manner of taking food : " In 
yonder nook, the small fry are dancing in the quiet 
water, perhaps in their own manner bidding farewell 
to the orb of day, perhaps, seeking something for 



THE BLACK SKIMMER. 



251 






their supper. Thousands there are, all gay, and the 
very manner of their mirth, causing the waters to 
Bparkle, invites their foes to advance toward the shoal. 
And now the Pelicans, aware of the faculties of their 
scaly prey, at once spread out their broad wings, press 
closely forward with powerful strokes of their feet, 
drive the little fishes toward the shallow shore, and 
then with their enormous pouches spread like so 
many bag-nets, scoop them out, and devour them in 
thousands." 

We must now spend a little time among the large 
and interesting families of the Terns and Gulls, and 
watch their beautiful motions as they skim over the 
surface of the ocean, now rising upon the bosom of 
the gale, and now with the swiftness of an arrow 
plunging into the deep in pursuit of their prey. 

The Black Skimmer, or Shearwater, is a very sin- 
gular bird, inhabiting our southern sea-coasts, where, 
during most of the night, in localities which it fre- 
quents, its hoarse cry may be heard as it sails over 
the water in search of food. With wide-spread 
wings it swiftly glides along, the lower mandible 
ploughing the water, while the upper mandible, 
which is movable, is elevated a little above it. In 
this manner it secures its prey, sometimes rising 
above the surface, and again dipping its great bill 
as fresh objects appear. Thus, the whole night long, 
with almost untiring energy, it skims the surface of 
the deep, winging its graceful and buoyant flight be- 
neath the light of the pale moonbeams, until 'lay 



252 



N AT ATORES 



dawns, when it betakes itself to the beach or some 
sand-bar to rest. 

There are perhaps few of our readers who have 
the opportunity of visiting any part of our extensive 

sea-coast during Sum- 
g^gjjjjjjll^ mer, who can fail to 

~^%^ notice two birds; 

: these are the Com- 

>hj "^ \ mon Tern and the 

V ^vS. Least Tern. They 

-0 are so abundant, and 
V; ^ -!,\; their beautiful mo- 

tions so attractive, 
| that the most unob- 
W^^m^^^fi, servant must pause 
fab to watch and admire 

^^^^^^^5 them. They differ 
n -x from each other prin- 

cipally in size, the 
former being much 
the larger. Their 




Arctic Tern. 

plumage is quite similar, being mostly of a snowy- 
white, tinged on the back with light blue-grey, while 
a patch of black covers the crown of the head. 
Swallow-like in their form, they seem to mimic in 
their motions the antic gambols of that gay and nim- 
ble little bird, — skimming with sylph-like ease over 
the white-capped breakers, watching intently for their 
prey, upon which they dart almost with the swiftness 
of thought. The Least Tern is particularly social, 
and seeming to possess a degree of confidence in man, 



THE ARCTIC TERN. 



253 






which perhaps he little deserves, he approaches him 
fearlessly, flying about him with the most unsuspi- 
cious familiarity. We would recommend every visitor 
at the sea-coast to study the habits of these two 
lovely birds. 

Along the shores of Maine, Nova Scotia, or of 
Labrador, the Arctic Tern is seen gambolling in the 
air above the voyager, whose eye is riveted upon its 
graceful evolutions. Now it sweeps over some soli- 
tary green isle, — then, amidst the floating icebergs, 
stoops to pick up some hapless shrimp. Little care 
is required to construct its nest, which is generally 
on a low sand-bank or desert island ; and in a short 
time the little Terns burst the shell, hobble toward 
the water, and soon are on the wing, far out at sea. 
The first snow-storm from the Polar lands, however, 
drives before it multitudes of these sprightly and 
daring rovers, to a southern clime. 

This bird is occasionally seen upon the Jersey shore 
in Autumn, whence it departs in early Spring. Some 
follow the windings of the coast up to Newfoundland, 
while others, younger and perhaps more fearful, fly 
inland, passing along the St. Lawrence to the Magda- 
lene islands and the "ice-bound" Labrador. 

Audubon remarks that when a female Arctic Tern 
has been killed and floats upon the water, her mate 
will alight upon and caress her, as if she were still 
living. He tried the experiment several times, and 
invariably with the same result. 

A curious fact may be stated here, in reference to 
this genus, — that all the Terns that breed in the 
22 



254 



NATATORES 



northern parts of the United States, and in the Polar 
regions, sit closely on their eggs; while the species 
that breed in more southern latitudes incubate only 
during the night or in rainy weather. 

Of the family of Gulls, so well known and so 
widely diffused, we notice first the species bearing 
the name of Bonaparte, in allusion to the well-known 
naturalist. This bird is found at times in great 
numbers along our sea-board, from the Bay of Fundy, 
and even higher latitudes, to the coast of Florida. 
It has also been observed sweeping over the Ohio 
river, in search of small fishes or floating garbage. 
When examined after death, the stomachs are found 
to contain shrimp, young fishes, fatty substances, and 
sometimes coleopterous insects. In Spring, when 
the shad enter the bays and rivers to deposit their 
spawn, this Gull begins to show itself, as if for the 
purpose of preying upon the shoals, which, however, 
is not the case. It is described as being very gentle 
in some localities, scarcely heeding the presence of 
man. 

The Great Black-backed Gull, the largest of the 
tribe, delights in sailing over the rugged crags of 
Labrador. He moves in wide circles, with loud, 
harsh cries, far above the multitudes of smaller birds 
below, who instinctively dread the approach of this 
tyrant, or prepare to defend their young broods from 
its powerful beak. The fish sink deeper as he ap- 
proaches, while the other Gulls fly as fast as possible 
from their enemy. At length he spies, perhaps, the 
carcass of a whale, and, with fierce cries, darts down 



THE BLACK-BACKED GULL. 255 

upon the putrid mass. Tearing, tugging, and swal- 
lowing piece after piece, until he is surfeited, he lies 
down exhausted; but, owing to the great digestive 
power of his stomach, in a short time he is again 
on the wing to some well-known isle, where thousands 
of young birds or eggs are to be found. There, with- 
out remorse at the screams of the parents, he begins 
leisurely to break open and devour, until he has again 
satisfied his craving appetite. But though so tyran- 
nical, he is yet a coward, and sneaks off at the ap- 
proach of the Skua, a much smaller but bold sea- 
bird, which is always ready to attack the relentless 
robber. 

Upon the western shores of Labrador, for an ex- 
tent of three hundred miles, this king of Gulls is 
found in great numbers in the breeding season. Tow- 
ard the commencement of Summer they arrive one 
by one, the older ones first, greeting with loud cries 
the first sight of their native land. With many bows 
and gesticulations the pairing proceeds, until, at the 
right time, they fly off to one of the many desert 
isles that line the shore, and build their nests beneath 
a projecting shelf, or in a wide cleft of a rock. They 
are formed of moss and sea-weeds, carefully arranged, 
being two feet in diameter, five or six inches in height, 
and lined with feathers and dry grass. Not more 
than three eggs are ever laid in one nest, which, like 
those of most other Gulls, afford good eating. When 
the young are five or six weeks old, they take to the 
water, uttering the same sounds as the old birds. 
Even at that early period they show great greediness 



256 



N AT ATORES, 



in eating. If a dead duck or even one of their own 
species is thrown to them, they tear it in pieces, 
drink the blood, and swallow the flesh in large mor- 
sels, each one trying to rob the other of his share. 
They will attempt to take down codlings ten inches 
in length, and, though the shape of the fish may be 
distinctly traced along the neck, and the birds are 
evidently suffering from the pressure on the wind- 
pipe, they will not disgorge their prey. They will 
attack flocks of young Ducks while swimming beside 
their mother, when the latter takes wing, and the 
frightened brood dive. If among the bushes, they 
are safe ; but if no shelter is near, they are likely to 
be caught by their voracious enemy. The Eider 
Duck is the only one that offers resistance to save 
her young; but when sitting on eggs in any open 
situation, the Gull will drive her off and suck them 
before her eyes. He will sometimes seize flounders 
on the edge of the shallows, but not being able to 
swallow them whole, flies to some rock, and beats 
the fish until it can be torn to pieces. The stomach 
of this bird appears to be capable of reducing fea- 
thers, bones, and othe_* hard substances, with ease. 

The whole length is nearly thirty inches, and a 
full-grown specimen will weigh three pounds. The 
fishermen and settlers of Newfoundland and Labra- 
dor kill large numbers of the young ones when nearly 
able to fly, and, after skinning them, salt them down 
for food. 

We turn now to a bird familiarly known to sailors, 
the world over. Constantly flapping its wings, and 



THE PETREL. 



257 



showing only a single spot of white, its dusky form 
darts in every direction along the swelling waves. 
Never fatigued, the tiny Petrels seldom alight, though 
they seem now and then to walk upon the foaming 
crests of the water. When the gale approaches, and 
the little wanderers are unable to bear up against its 




Wilson's Petrel. (Mother Carey's Chicken.) 



fury, they retreat for shelter to the stern of the near- 
est vessel, where they remain until the blue sky over- 
head again tempts them to fly forth to pick up the 
floating fragments on the sea. There are three va- 
rieties of this interesting bird. We will notice but 
one, Wilson's Petrel, which is sometimes confounded 
with a smaller kind, both being familiarly called 
Mother Carey's Chickens. Of their migrations but 
little is known. The range is stated by Audubon not 
to extend eastward beyond the Azores, nor lower than 
22* r 



258 



NATATORES. 



the Gulf of Mexico. This species breeds on low 
sandy banks, scantily covered with grass, and called 
Mud Islands, off the southern extremity of Nova 
Scotia. In the middle of Summer they form bur- 
rows to the depth of two feet, place at the bottom a 
few bits of dry grass, and lay only one egg. In two 
months the young follow their parents to sea, and are 
scarcely distinguishable from them. 

With its wings nearly at right angles with the 
body, in calm weather the Petrel runs or rather hops 
upon the water, patting it with its feet, and keeping 
its head downward in search of small fishes. Now 
and then the ear is attracted by its note, resembling 
the syllables " Kee-re-kee-kee ! " which are more fre- 
quently uttered at night than by day. In every clime 
the sailor regards with friendly interest this lively 
and sociable creature. When, flitting over the long 
ocean swell, they chase one another in play, every 
one hails them as harbingers of fair weather ; but 
when dull moaning sounds are heard afar, and the 
little rovers sweep near the vessel, or cluster near its 
sheltering sides, they give the timely warning to 
close haul the sails before the tall masts creak and 
tremble in the gale. 

Having now reached the limit assigned to our 
volume, we must pass by without notice several other 
species of water birds found upon our coasts, whose 
habits are interesting ; but we trust that the perusal 
of what has been written will have so far instructed 
and pleased our readers as to stimulate them to a 



CONCLUSION 



259 



more extended study of the delightful subject of 
Ornithology. 

We trust also that the acquaintance thus formed 
with the sweet Songsters of the Wood and Field, will 
be a means of tuning hearts to praise the Great Crea- 
tor of every living thing, Our Father who is in 
Heaven. 






INDEX 


Accipitres, 16. 


Birds, orders of, 14. 


Adaptation of the form of birds to 


orders of, how subdivided, 28. 


motion through the air, 13. 


parts of, figured, 14. 


American Flamingo, 232. 


power of flight denied to somo, 


Audubon on, 232, 233. 


21. 


connecting link between the 


purposes subserved by color of 


Waders and Swimmers, 234. 


feathers, 22, 23. 


American House Finch, 84. 


sub-classes of, 15. 


description of, by McCall, 85. 


their keen sense of danger, 27. 


American Raven, 45. 


their migrations, 24, 25. 


American Redstart, 93. 


their remarkable instincts, 24. 


American Swan, 238, 239. 


use of the tail in flight of, 21. 


Anecdote of a Crow, 51. 


Bird-mountains of Java, 124. 


of a pair of Swallows, 121. 


Birds'-nests, edible, 124. 


of a Scarlet Tanager, 92. 


Blackbird, Red-winged, 37-39. 


of a Thrush, 73. 


Black-capped Titmouse, 111. 


Appendages to wings of birds, 21. 


Black-headed Humming Bird, 157. 


Arctic Bluebird, 78. 


Black Skimmer Gull, 251. 


Arctic Tern, 253. 


Blacksnake and Brown Thrush, 73. 


Audubon quoted: 


Bluebird, 74-77. 


on American Flamingo, 232, 233. 


Blue Grosbeak, 90, 91. 


Blue Jay, 56. 


Blue Jay, 55. 


Canada Goose, 236-238. 


his bad character, 56. 


Canada Jay, 57. 


Blue-winged Teal, 243. 


Cardinal Grosbeak, 90. 


Bobolink, 31. 


Eider Duck, 246, 247. 


description of, by Irving, 31-35. 


Mallard, 241, 242. 


Bonaparte Gull, 254. 


Nonpareil Finch, 83. 


Brown Creeper, 111. 


Rail, 209. 


Brown Thrush, 72. 


Raven, 47. 


Bullock's Oriole, 42. 


Red-backed Sand Piper, 216, 


Bunting, Cow, 35, 61, 96. 


217. 


Snow, 79, 80. 


Snowy Owl, 186, 187. 


Burrowing Owl, 188. 


Sparrow Hawk, 180. 


Butcher Bird, 58, 59. 


Swallow, 119-121. 




White Ibis, 223, 224. 


California Vulture, 172. 


Wild Pigeon, 190-195. 


California Woodpecker, 134. 


Wild Turkey, 198. 


its mode of securing winter pro- 




visions, 135. 


Bald Eagle, 175. 


always selects sound nuts, 136. 


robs the Fish Hawk, 176. 


Canada Goose, 235. 


Baltimore Oriole, 40. 


Audubon on, 236-238. 


Barn Swallow, 118. 


its keenness of sight and hear* 


Belted Kingfisher, 127-129. 


ing, 237. 




(261) 





262 



INDEX. 



Canada Goose, its manner of feeding, 

237. 
Canada Grouse, 202. 
Canada Jay, 57. 
Canvas-back Duck, 244. 
Cardinal Grosbeak, 89. 

Audubon quoted on, 90. 
Carolina Dove, 196. 
Carolina Parrot, 147. 

destructiveness of, 148. 

roost in companies, 148. 

Wilson's account of one, 149- 
151. 
Carolina woods, music of, 66, 69, 70. 
Cedar-Bird, 61-63. 

beauty of its plumage, 62. 
Chick-a-de-de, 111. 
Chimney Swallow, 118-121. 
Chuck-wills-widow, 115-117. 
Cliff Swallow, 123. 
Color of feathers, useful purposes 

served by, 22, 23. 
Comet-tail Humming Bird, 159. 
Common Magpie, 54. 
Common Tern, 252. 
Condor, anecdote illustrating the 

strength of, 172, 173. 
Courage of birds, 72, 104, 178, 183, 

219. 
Cow-bird, 35, 61, 96. 

how hatched, 36. 
Cranes, 211. 
Cray-fish, how caught by the White 

Ibis, 224. 
Crested Titmouse, 111. 
Crossbill, 87, 88. 
Crow, 48. 

anecdote of a, 51. 

can be domesticated, 50. 

his extreme wariness, 48. 

nest of, 49, 50. 

services of, to the farmer, 49. 
Cuckoo, 141-143. 

American,rear their own young, 
142. 

services of, to the farmer, 143. 
Cursores, orders of, 15. 

Delalande Humming Bird, 158-161. 
Depredations on crops, how com- 
pensated for, 38, 49, 104, 139, 143. 
Duck Hawk, 183. 
Ducks, 240-249. 

Eagle, nest of, 25. 

Eagles sometimes attack human spe- 
cies, 178, 179. 



Eagles, stratagems of, to secure theii 
prey, 175. 

Edible Swallow, 124. 

Eggs, number of, in a nest, etc., 26 

Egrets, 228-230. 

Eider Duck, 245. 

Audubon on, 246, 247. 
down of, how procured, 245, 246 
seldom found south of Nev 
York, 246. 

Falcon, 184. 
Feather, 22. 

colors of, serve a useful purpose 
22, 23. 
Finches, 78-98. 

Fishing by a bird, 186, 187, 224. 
Flamingo, 232. 
Flicker, 139, 140. 

activity of, 140, 141. 
Flight of the Raven, 47. 
Flight of various birds, described, 19 
Fly-Catchers, 94, 99-105. 

Gamble's Partridge, 201. 

account of, by McCall, 201, 202 
Genera, 28. 
Grallaj, 18. 
Great Black-backed Gull, 254. 

his voracity, 256. 
Great Carolina Wren, 109. 
Great Crested Fly-Catcher, 105. 
Great White Egret, 228. 
Great White Owl, 186. 
Greenland, birds of, 79. 
Green-winged Teal, 243. 
Goat-sucker, the term an absurdity 

117. 
Golden Eagle, 178. 

feathers of, prized by the In 
dians, 178. 
Golden-crowned Thrush, 71. 
Golden-winged Woodpecker, 139 

140. 
Gosse, account of a remarkable par 

rot by, 143-147. 
Ground-squirrel and Sand Piper 

contest between, 219, 220. 
Grouse, 202. 
Gulls, 254-256. 

Hanging-bird, 40. 
Hawk Owl, 184. 

a connecting link between the 
Hawk and the Owl, 185. 
Herons, 227-231. 
Hooded Merganser, 248, 249. 



INDEX. 



263 



House Wren, 106. 

description of, by Wilson, 106- 

109. 
its quarrelsome disposition, 108. 
Humming Bird, extensive range of, 
152. 
female deposits but two eggs, 

164. 
food of, 161. 

nests of various species, 25, 161. 
number of species, 152. 
plumage of, 159, 165. 
seldom live long in captivity, 

160. 
species found in the United 
States, 166, 167. 
Humming Birds of Brazil and Gui- 
ana, 157, 158. 

Ibis, 222. 
Indigo Bird, 82. 
Insessores, 16. 

orders of, 15. 
Irving's description of the Bobolink, 

31-35. 
Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 136-138. 
Wilson's account of, 137. 

Jay, Blue, 56. 
Canada, 57. 

Prince Maximilian's, 58. 
wide diffusion of the family, 54. 

Kildeer Plover, 214-216. 
Kingfisher, 127-129. 

Labrador, birds of, 79. 

Lapland Longspur, 79. 

Lazuli Finch, 83. 

Least Tern, 252. 

Leona Night Jar, 21. 

Lilljeborg's classification of birds, 

15. 
Little Egret, 229, 230. 
Long-tailed Duck, 247. 

Magpie, 52. 

in United States, not found east 
of the Mississippi, 52. 

two species in United States, 54. 

Wilson quoted on, 53. 
Mallard, 240. 

Audubon on, 241. 
Maryland Yellow-Throat, 95. 
McCall's account of American House 
Finch, 85. 

of Gamble's Partridge, 201. 



Meadow Lark, 42, 43. 
Migration of birds, 24, 25. 
Mocking-Bird, 69, 70. 

will attack the Rattlesnake, 72, 
Mother Caroy's Chickens, 258. 

Natatores, 18. 

orders of, 15. 
Nest of American Flamingo, 232. 

Baltimore Oriole, 40, 41. 

Belted Kingfisher, 131. 

Bluebird, 74. 

Butcher-Bird, 59. 

Great Black-backed Gull, 266 

House Finch, 86. 

House Wren, 106. 

Humming Bird, 161. 

Kildeer Plover, 215. 

Meadow Lark, 43. 

Merganser, 249. 

Orchard Oriole, 42. 

Partridge, 200. 

Petrel, 258. 

Piping Plover, 214. 

Prairie Hen, 204. 

Scarlet Tanager, 92. 

Snowy Heron, 231. 

Swallow, 123. 

Virginia Rail, 210, 211. 

White-eyed Vireo, 61. 

Woodcock, 222. 

Wood Duck, 243. 

Yellow-poll Warbler, 95. 
Nests of birds, 25. 
Night-Hawk, 112. 

its powers of flight, 113, 114. 

usually flies by day, 113. 
Night Heron, 227. 

breeding-places of, 228. 

wariness of, 227. 
Nightingale, song of, represented o 

words, 97. 
Night Owls, 187. 
Nonpareil Finch, 83, 84. 
Nuthatch, 63, 64. 

value of, to the farmer, 65. 

Orchard Oriole, 42. 
Orders of birds, 14. 

how subdivided, 28. 
Oriole, 40-42. 

nest of, 26. 
Owl, 185. 

some varieties diurnal, 186-188. 

Painted Finch, 83. 
plumage of, 84. 



264 INDEX. 


Parrot, 143. 


Red-headed Woodpecker, 138. 


account of a remarkable, by 


depredations of, on Grops, 139. 


Gosse, 143-147. 


Red-winged Blackbird, 37-39. 


but one member of the family 


Reed-bird, 31. 


in the United States, 147. 


Republican Swallows, 123. 


imitative powers of, 144. 


Rice-bird, 31. 


wide extent of the order, 143. 


Rock Ptarmigan, 205. 


Passenger Pigeon, 189-196. 


Roseate Spoonbill, 224, 225. 


Audubon on, 190-195. 


habits of, 226. 


immense flocks of, 190. 


not found north of Georgia, 225, 


roost of, as described by Audu- 
bon, 193-195. 


Ruby-throat Humming Bird, nest 
of, 161. 


Partridge, call of, 200. 
Gamble's, 201. 


Ruby Topaz Humming Bird, 166. 
Ruffed Grouse, 202. 


Pelican, 249. 250. 




Audubon, on, 251. 


Sand Pipers, 216. 


Penguin, wing of, 21. 


Scansores, 17. 


Peregrine Falcon, 184. 


Scarlet Ibis, 222. 


Petrels, 257. 


Scarlet Tanager, 91, 92. 


Pewee Fly-Catcher, 101-103. 


Screech Owl, 187. 


Pigeons, 189-197. 


Sea-coast, birds of the, 213. 


Pinnated Grouse, 202. 


Semi-pal mated Sand Piper, 218. 


Piping Fly-Catcher, of Florida, 105. 


Shrike, Great American, 58. 


Piping Plover, 213, 214. 


Snipe, 221. 


its fleetness, 214. 


Snow Bird, 80, 81. 


Plovers, 213-216. 


Snow Bunting, 79, 80. 


not confined to the sea-coast, 


Snowy Heron, 229, 230. 


214. 


Snowy Owl, 186. 


Polytmus of Jamaica, 157-160. 


dexterity of, in catching fish. 


description of, from Martin, 162 


187. 


-164. 


Song Sparrow, 81, 82. 


Power of flight denied to some spe- 


Sora Rail, 209. 


cies, 21. 


Audubon on, 209. 


Prairie Hen, 202. 


Sparrow Hawk, 179. 


nest of, 204. 


can be domesticated, 180. 


"tooting" of, how produced, 


Species, 28. 


203. 


of birds, how distinguished, 15. 


Prince Maximilian's Jay, 57. 


Speed of the Swallow, 123. 


Ptarmigan, 23, 204, 205. 


Spoonbill, 224-226. 


Purple Finch, 86. 


Spotted Sand Piper, 218, 219. 


Purp'e Martin, 122. 


incident respecting, related by 


( ntestsot, with King-Bird, 104. 


Wilson, 219, 220. 


Purpl Sand Piper, 217. 


Stanley, quotation from, on the edi- 




ble birds'-nests, 124-126. 


Raclvt-tail Humming Bird, 159. 


Summer Duck, 243. 


Rail, J06-211. 


Swallows, 117. 


Rase : es, 17. 


Barn and Chimney Swallows 


Ratt.i isnake an enemy of the Mock- 


widely different, 118. 


inn Bird, 72. 


sociable disposition of, 121. 


Bum, 44-47. 


their power of wing, 122, 123. 


.) udubon's account of, 47. 


Swans, 238-240. 


Ji )w regarded by the American 


their flight, 239. 


Indians, 44. 


Swiftness of birds, 25. 


^imarkable instance of affec- 


Sword-bill Humming Bird, 157. 


tion for a dog, 46. 




1 \i -backed Sand Piper, Audubon's 


Tanager, 91. 


a ;count of, 216, 217. 


Teal, 243. 





INDEX. 265 


Terns, 252. 


Wild Turkey, 197. 


Thrasher, 72. 


manner of travel, 198. 


Thrushes, 70-73. 


plumage, 199. 


Titmouse, 110, 111. 


rarely found east of the Missis- 


Trumpeter Swan, 238. 


sippi, 197. 


Turkey Buzzard, 171. 


Wilson quoted: 


usefulness of, 172. 


on Bald Eagle, 176, 177. 


Tyrant Fly-Catcher, 100-103. 


Carolina Parrot, 149-151. 


courage of, 104. 


House Wren, 106-109. 


his services to the farmer, 104. 


Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 




137. 


Violet Green Swallow, 122. 


Magpie, 53. 


Vireo, 60,61. 


Scarlet Tanager, 92. 


nest of, 26. 


Spotted Sand Piper, 219, 220. 


Virginia Rail, 210. 


Wilson's Petrel, 257, 258. 


Vulture, acute sense of, in discover- 


Wings, appendages to, 21. 


ing carrion, 173. 


structure of, determines the 




manner of flight, 20. 


Warblers, species of, 96. 


Winter Wren, 110. 


Waxwing, 61-63. 


Woodcock, 221. 


Western Bluebird, 78. 


a nocturnal bird, 221. 


Whip-poor-will, 114. 


its nest, 222. 


its song, 115. 


Wood Duck, 243. 


White-bellied Swallow, 122. 


Woodpecker, 131. 


White-breasted Nuthatch, 63. 


manner in which it obtains ita 


White Ibis, 222, 223. 


food, 132. 


Audubon on, 223, 224. 


mechanism of the head, 133. 


its mode of catching the cray- 


Wood Pewee, 105. 


fish, 224. 


Wood Robin, 71. 


Whooping Cranes, 211. 


Wrens, 105-110. 


food of, 212. 




found only in the South and 


Yellow-bilLed Cuckoo, 142. 


West, 212. 


Yellow-billed Magpie, 54. 


their extreme wariness, 212. 


Yellow-poll Warbler, 94. 


Wild Pigeon, 189. 


its nest, 06. 


28 







